Give us your tired computers; eBay.(A new plan to recycle old computers may forestall regulation)(eBay Inc.)

Economist (US), The, January, 2005

A new plan to recycle old PCs may forestall regulation

THE computer industry is built on the assumption that PCs and electrical devices are replaced every few years. It is a strategy that leaves tons of electronic junk in its wake. Over 130,000 PCs are replaced every day in America alone, and only a tenth or so are recycled. Ingredients such as cadmium, mercury and lead can do terrible things to people and places. In Europe, such e-waste is the fastest growing type of refuse, accounting for 8% of all municipal rubbish.

Regulators have taken note. In California, legislation to levy a surcharge on computer sales to defray recycling costs took effect this month. (A European Union directive in 2003 requires equipment-makers to recycle, but it has not yet...

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