End-of-life opportunities for computers and computer parts EOL: It is a product life circle terminology that is used to signify that a product has reach the end of its useful lifetime and will no longer be marketed, sold or sustained

Product life circle curve  Short term products (fade items): Few months  Long term product (trend): Up to or exceed a decade  Despite the distinct in both type of product life circle curve, they both have the same life phases  Development  Introduction to the market  Growth  Maturity  Decline  End of life

Causes of short term EOL for computer products  Unavailability and Incompatibility of Spare part  Problem: Damage processor Called the manufacturer (this type of processor was no longer manufactured and no maintenance support was available. Advice to upgrade to a new processor) upgrade the processor and installed new software Not able to boot the computer because the new processor was not compatible with the motherboard Forced to buy a brand new computer

Flow diagram of computer based on the 1991 Carnegie Mellon University study

Flow diagram of computer in update study

What to consider before you start the computer flow process  Delete all personal information from the computer  Ensure that you have an external backup of all data in the computer  Download and run a data sanitization software (for corporations it is better to hire professional to help them erase their data)  Consider upgrading the hardware of software instead of buying a brand new product

Batteries are in a computer.  CMOS battery within a motherboard -> run the clock and BIOS.  Laptop batteries differ from each other  Nickel cadmium (NiCd). First battery types, getting old and NiMH and LiON have somewhat replaced the use of these.  Nickel metal hydride (NiMH). Improvements in cost, safety, reliability and capacity. Memory effect -> have to be fully discharged before charging in order to receive full capacity.  Lithium ion (LiON). Newest, no memory effect and lighter than NiMH.  Smart / dumb batteries: smart batteries have a microprocessor to control the battery energy.  Recycle batteries separately; lithium batteries can be used to make new batteries!  Removing them while recycling important -> may have to be recycled separately.

The flow diagram  After computers are no longer usable to its first user -> can be still usable for other people. Not necessarily waste.  Donate it, not straight forward > how can still take use of it? Non-profit organizations helpful.  The sooner the computer or parts of it are donated, recycled etc. the better. Damaged/very old can be useful for recycling and reuse purposes -> do not keep them in your closet!!  Guidelines to proper storing, bubble wrap and antistatic bags are the key.

Recycling  The parts can contain hazardous materials such as lead in monitors.  A lot of the substances used in computers can be very useful for recycling and reusing purposes -> decreasing the need for natural resources and not damaging our environment.  IT equipment almost 100% recyclable when managed properly. Parts are easy to remove etc.  Recycling by yourself might not be wise, instead use licensed recycler. Whole new industry has risen through electronic waste recycling.  Huge amount of e-waste have went to landfill -> poison the ground and release in to the air. (Computer parts might contain a lot of toxins)  A lot of e-waste shipped to developed countries.

Disposing  Metals such as copper, gold, aluminum can be recycled and reused. Instead a lot of them end up in landfills. Cadmium, glass et cetera can be reused.  Working hard-drives, CD-ROM drives to charity -> for schools, libraries etc.  The amount of electronics sold today can end up to landfills if not disposed properly -> same land could be used otherwise.  Agbogbloshie is a suburb of Accra, Ghana known as a destination for legal and illegal exportation and hazardous dumping of computer waste from Western nations.

Conclusions  Take-back, companies required to organize ways to reclaim the products when the end-of-life occurs. Ensure that e-waste is recycled and disposed in environmentally manner.  In the EU take-back legislation, not enough if customers are not using it.  Break down computers to subcomponents -> easier to comprehend the environmental impact.  Recycling or selling the old equipment not profitable, the price after purchase soon decreases and will quickly go to only the price of the raw materials.  Incentives to increase recycling. Recycling old electronic costs money.  Reuse and recycling should be strongly promoted in order to maximize the lifecycle values of computers.