Reusing a computer is twenty times better for the environment than recycling according to a recent UN study.
With 250,000 computers recycled in Ireland annually, the vast majority could be recycled. This is just one small tiny island!
Here at Recycling Your IT, we spend a lot of time educating corporations that there is an alternative to recycling. Approximately 63% of all IT equipment we collect is reused, either in Europe, the USA or developing nations. Obviously as in previous blogs great care has to be taken when dealing with developing nations due to the poverty and therefore the potential of child labour being abused.
Lots of ICT equipment comes to the end of its useful life for the first user. Technology advances weekly, and being so affordable is easily upgraded. This does not mean however that the equipment is useless. The average PC received into our facility is an Intel Pentium 3.0Ghz. With a little loving care and the odd upgrade this can be more than man enough power for the average user. All ready we are starting to see dual core and quad core systems coming in for recycling. Most only have minor faults and fairly easily rectified. Obviously all previous data has to be destroyed.
So next time think about reusing rather than recycling. You will be amazed at how much extra life you can get out of your old computers when they have minor upgrades.
Like any electronic equipment the more you can keep using the item before you upgrade the better it is for the environment.