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Eliminating E-Waste

Ever wonder where your discarded laptop or cell phone ends up after you donate it or put it on the curb? It might not be where you think it is.

Old computers and other electronics – which can become obsolete in less than a few years’ time – pose a number of problems. Those that end up in landfills may leach harmful toxicants, such as lead and mercury, into ground water supplies. But donated and discarded computers can also end up in far-flung places such as Nigeria, where identity thieves mine them for personal information and social security numbers, turning your old garbage into criminal opportunities.

Americans discard millions of computers and other electronics on an annual basis. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates less than 15 percent of the 20 million computers that become obsolete in a given year will be re-used or recycled.

If you don’t want your old hard drive to end up polluting the Earth or providing opportunities to someone out to steal your identity, experts suggest you:

• Always erase your hard drive before donating or discarding a computer.
• Use a reputable organization when recycling old electronics.
• Make sure the recycling company will not sell the computer at auction or send it to a landfill in a developing country.
• If you donate your computer to a nonprofit organization, make sure they intend to use it, not sell it at auction.

For more information on how to recycle e-waste and electronics, go to Earth 911.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org