By now, it's safe to assume that most college students have gone through our first and maybe second computers. But when it's time to upgrade to the next big thing, what's a consumer to do with the old one?
One option, dropping it in the trash, just doesn't sit well with us. It is particularly unfortunate when a computer ends up in a regular landfill because many electronic devices contain toxic chemicals. But until recently, there haven't been feasible alternatives because recycling electronics is difficult and expensive.
It's true: what once sat benignly on your desk is a waiting-to-happen example of hazardous waste. Under the law, collectors of hazardous waste must dispose of it differently than your rotten bananas, hazardous though they may be. These regulations don't apply to most of us because we fall under the law's household hazardous waste exclusion - a great little exemption that prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from knocking on your door every time you throw out a can of paint thinner or other hazardous material. But big companies need to deal with hazardous waste in a specific and often costly way or face huge fines from the EPA.
Unregulated, some electronics manufacturers pass along these costs by charging customers for recycling their old computers unless they also buy a new version of the same computer brand. This causes many people to just toss their old electronics, which creates a potentially huge environmental problem for everyone. According to the EPA, Americans only recycle 18 percent of all discarded computers, monitors and other equipment.
To put this in perspective, Americans throw out nearly two million tons of electronic devices, including computers and TVs, every year. After the guts of the computers hit the landfill, there's no telling how far the toxic innards will go. Sadly, quite often this material can end up breaking through the cracks of the landfill and seeping into underground water sources - and ultimately back to your house through your kitchen sink. And you thought that computer was gone for good.
We can do better. It shouldn't be up to the consumer alone to endure inconvenient and expensive recycling procedures. State and local governments should step in to regulate these externalities.
In fact, they have - in certain states, anyway. Thanks to some very smart lawmakers in states such as Minnesota, Texas and New Jersey, finding a free and convenient computer recycler won't be a problem.
Texas, for example, just recently became the fourth state to establish free recycling programs for all computers and other electronics purchased within the state. Closer to campus, Maryland enacted a pilot program along the same lines. We are pleased that eight more states enacted laws with similar programs, all of which will start on Jan. 1.
This patchwork of state laws could benefit from uniform national standards. Free electronics recycling should be available no matter where you bought your computer.
In the meantime, there are alternatives for people not lucky enough to live in the one of the four states with active computer recycling programs. For example, you could sell your old laptop to a reputable computer refurbisher. This is not only a good way to get rid of an old computer, but it can also provide between $200 and $400 to invest in books (or liquid refreshment).
You can save the environment and make some cash at the same time. We approve.
No matter which method you use to make room for the next innovation in computer technology, remember the one place a computer should never end up: your dorm trash can.
Ben Moss and Brittany Meyer are students in the Washington College of Law and columnists for The Eagle. They can be reached at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
