Old computers = jobs, gold, skills
Story by Helen Venada
posted 06/07/2006

The average lifespan of a computer today is less than five years. An estimated 220 tons of electronics are landfilled each year, much of which could be reused or recycled. San Juan County's Solid Waste Division and Seattle-based non-profit, InterConnection, co-sponsored a highly successful "E-Cycle Event" on San Juan Island on June 3, 2006. More than 125 participants delivered enough computers, monitors, laptops, accessories and TVs to the Fairgrounds to completely fill InterConnection's 24-foot truck.

InterConnection has been collecting unwanted computers since 1999 and providing hundreds of volunteers with free computers. Volunteers learn how to dismantle and assemble the computers during 25 hours of training. Upon completion of their training, they have new skills and a new computer. Hundreds of refurbished computers are sent to schools and non-profits in the U.S. and around the world. The Lousiana Library System received computers for use by Hurricane Katrina victims.

Interconnection follows the strictest procedures for testing and data wiping in compliance with the U.S Department of Defense data destruction standards. [Do-it-yourselfers can refer to http://www.killdisk.com/ for hard drive eraser software.]

Re-use is the highest end use for unwanted electronic equipment and InterConnection uses functioning components to upgrade working computers and to repair non-working computers; all parts that don't meet the reuse criteria are recycled through partner, Total Reclaim, Inc., to recover resources like gold, copper, and silver (found mostly in motherboards and processors) as well as all glass and plastics. One ton of old PCs has as much gold in it as seventeen tons of gold ore.

Toxic components like lead, cadmium, and mercury are also recovered. These heavy metals can leak into the environment from landfilled electronics and some communities have banned them from landfill disposal. San Juan County's solid waste is disposed of in the fully-lined Columbia Ridge Landfill in arid eastern Oregon which accepts electronic waste.

"I am so impressed with the large number of island individuals and businesses who brought in their electronic waste and paid for it to be properly reused and recycled. Many of them have waited for years for this opportunity to clear out their storage areas," said Helen Venada, SJC Hazardous Waste Coordinator. She would also like to thank volunteers, Marion Melville and Brian and Karla Pouillon, who put in hours of their time and effort to make this event happen and Tod Collins and Jeff Ludwig who collected and delivered two truckloads of electronics from Orcas Island. "Thanks too to Christine Miller, County Fair Coordinator, for letting us use the new 4-H building for this event, which, appropriately, ran simultaneously with the Health & Fitness Fair at the Fairgrounds."

What next for electronics recycling in San Juan County? Until the new Washington state Electronic Waste Recycling Bill, SB 6428, goes into effect on 01/01/09, other Ecycle events will likely be planned for the islands. Rock Island Technology Solutions in Friday Harbor will also continue to provide electronics recycling on an ongoing basis through InterConnection.

SB 6428 will require manufacturers to finance electronics recycling; it will allow consumers to safely and simply recycle their ecomputers and TVs at no cost.

This bi-partisan legislation provides manufacturers with the financial incentive to decrease their recycling costs by re-designing electronics with fewer toxins and more recyclable elements; this is based on the concept of "product stewardship" that is gaining momentum globally. The law, which goes into effect in January 2009, provides for the shared responsbility of consumers, retailers, governments, and manufacturers to reuse/recycle components and to reclaim valuable resources. It is also a big win for economic development and will create hundreds of new jobs.