Recycled Computer

Recycled Computer

  • Submitted By: an65
  • Date Submitted: 01/29/2009 4:00 PM
  • Category: Miscellaneous
  • Words: 1551
  • Page: 7
  • Views: 1

In the past decade, a technological advance in electronic and communications has improved economic growth and people lives in countless ways. However, the increasing usages of electronic products both at home and in the workplace have given rise to a new environmental challenge: electronic waste (e-waste). In order to protect our environment, electronic waste should be prevented and old computer should be reused and recycled.
Occurring to The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that 315 million computers would be obsolete by 2004, with a large percentage finding their way to landfills (The CPA Journal). The average personal computer, including the CRT monitor, contains fifteen pounds of glass, fourteen pounds of plastics, over twelve pounds of steel, over eight pounds of aluminum, four pounds of copper, almost four pounds of lead, over two pounds of nickel, tin, and zinc, plus traces of 24 other precious metals, rare earth, specialty minerals and brominates chemicals (The CPA Journal). Personal computer also contains arsenic, cadmium, and mercury and the EPA classifies these substances as “having hazardous waste characteristics (Tench news world).” For every piece of equipment that goes the way of the landfill or incinerator, we are poisoning ourselves and our environment. We need to establish a system to provide for the collection handling and recycling or reuse of computer equipment in this city is consistent with its duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens; enhance and maintain the quality of the environment, and help prevent air, water and land pollution. It takes about five years for computer parts to disintegrate. The community around the area of the landfill or incinerator will have medical problems such as tumors, and different types of cancer. The locations of most landfill are in places of low income where hard working people cannot afford health insurance.

The EPA and the...

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