Comments on: It’s 2008: Do you know where your used electronics are?

By: Towel rails heated

Towel rails heated — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:10:45 +0000

Thanks for posting this, lifted my day.

By: Ms. Irish

Ms. Irish — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:22:31 +0000

I believe that the manufacturer’s should share most responsibility in the disposal of computers. When computers are being replaced with updated ones as fast as they are purchased; whom is making all the money. A recycling location should be identified and supplied with each sale of a computer for disposal upon its demise/replacement and paid for by the manufacturer to insure proper disposal. This is horrible to see and hear what has happened with these old electronics, however, I am pleased to hear the news about the internet based software system that tracks and traces recycled electronics (better late than never); how about that application at point of purchase?

By: Tim Sturgeon

Tim Sturgeon — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 22:52:00 +0000

Pam makes an excellent point here. It was very disheartening to learn that donating or taking my old electronics the local recycler could easily lead to the very horrible outcome described in recent news reports, namely children burning old electronics in open air settings in poor countries, releasing toxins into the environment and poisoning themselves in the process. We try to do the right thing, to no avail. As Pam’s entry suggests, we need to be more aware of the consequences of our consumption and a stronger system to ensure that electronics are disposed of properly. Protecting brand names is one important motivation for a better system, but I still worry that piles of unbranded or weakly branded products will fall through the cracks, even if A-list compnaies step up to the plate. If this isn’t a case for some sort of global regulatory system, with teeth, I don’t know what is. In the meantime, the pile of old electronics in my basement grows…

By: John P. Brown

John P. Brown — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:26:32 +0000

Where do the recycled components go? The expensive ones often end up as refurbished and are resold into the secondary market.

Just when the industry is waking up to the spectre of counterfeits, e-waste initiatives threaten to spawn a whole new wave of refurbished parts.