How to Be Green with Your Computer Hardware - Green PC Responsibility: Electronic Takeback Coalition (
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The
Electronic Takeback Coalition maintains a list of recyclers that have pledged to adhere to certain corporate
responsibility standards, including not incinerating e-waste or shipping it to
China. “We review these recyclers, so companies should be able to find a
responsible recycler on the web site,” says Barbara Kyle, national coordinator
of
ETC, a consortium of environmental
and consumer groups based in
San Francisco. “Companies are waking up to the
need for some due diligence here.”
In fact, PC
purchasing decisions, which today are made largely on power and efficiency, will soon take the end-of-lifecycle issue into
account, Daoud believes. One reason for the change, he says, is the regulatory
pressure that’s already being brought to bear, not only in the European Union,
but in the
U.S. as well. “The EU has been the
most proactive legislator in this area,” he says. “In the
U.S., there has been a legislation on
a state by state basis, with 25 states enacting e-waste disposal laws.”
Of
course, this situation isn’t making PC manufacturers happy. “Most IT vendors
don’t like this patchwork legislation, and most are looking forward to some
sort of federal mandate,” Daoud adds. The ultimate impact will be a higher cost
for business, he says.
None of
this is new to PC manufacturers, who in recent years, after been prodded by
environmental and consumer groups, have launched their own PC takeback
programs. “Most PC manufacturers have some kind of takeback program,” the
ETC’s Kyle says.
For
instance, Dell promises to take back any old PC that has the Dell name on it.
Consumers buying a new Dell can select a free recycling option when they buy a
new Dell. Hewlett Packard will take machines back for a fee that includes
shipping. Lenovo also charges consumers a fee to take back a PC.
Apple will
take back any brand of Mac or PC so long as you buy a new machine directly from
Apple, not through a reseller. Within 30 days after purchasing a new machine,
consumers can ship their old ones to Apple’s recycler using a free shipping
coupon mailed to them after purchase. Sony
will take aback any machine with the Sony name on it. Toshiba takes back any of
their notebooks for the cost of shipping.
IBM offers a buyback program for computers that still have value. Sellers
of one to 250 items can get a quote online.
For larger quantities,
IBM offers other asset recovery options.
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