Environmental Responsibility During this Digital Age By Kassandra Lynn McGlonn (CIS )

Consumers are replacing their digital products a highly unstable rate As more advanced products move into the market yesterdays products become unwanted or obsolete. The unwanted products either have landfills as their final destination or undergo a form of recycling Computer Landfill

40+ million computers are thrown away every year in the United States of America alone. Close to 70% of the heavy metals in landfills come from electronic waste (e-waste) The worldwide total of e-waste produced annually is close to 50 million tons per year In 1998 the National Safety council found 20 million computers discarded as obsolete. Sadly, that number more than doubled over the next 9 years. If this trend continues…

Computer recycling refers to the reuse of computers including: Passing an unwanted computer over to a new user Having a computer dismantled where its material can be used to produce new products

Computers can be donated for recycling locally. Some Philadelphia locations include: Philadelphia Computer Recycling Elemental, Inc. Recycling Services, Inc. However, a lot of American computers are recycled over seas. Some locations known for heavy computer recycling via dismantling include: Ghana India China MANY LOCAL RECYCLING SERVICES ARE FREE!!!

Cons- Some countries are being flooded with more computer waste than it can handle What can not be recycled is burned or dumped Those dismantling computers are exposed to hazardous chemicals, including lead, cadmium, flame retardants, mercury, dioxin, and a variety of acids that seep into the ground water Pros- Computers stay out of landfills Parts and materials are able to be put to use again Computers reduce their carbon footprint as less resources are need due to fewer computer parts being produced from scratch (less mining for metals, less plastic production, etc.) Something is better then nothing

Ultimately, we must find a way to produce environmentally harmless technology. Bamboo computer casings: Some computers are being created with bamboo replacing the exterior plastic casing Present in some Dell Inspiron notebook computers and ASUS laptops. Bamboo casings carry a life span of 20 years. Offers strength and outer protection comparable to many of the metals currently under use. Easy, quick, and inexpensive to grow Non-exhaustible!

Philadelphia Computer Recycling 51 North 3 rd St. Philadelphia, PA Website: Elemental Inc Church Street Philadelphia, PA Phone: Website:

Granger, Trey. "Bamboo Used to Make Laptop Computers - Earth911.com." Earth911.com - Find Recycling Centers and Learn How To Recycle. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug "Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania PA." Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | "Untitled Document." Use It Again, PA!. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug " BBC NEWS | South Asia | Growing concern over India's e-waste." BBC News - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug " Poisoning the poor – Electronic Waste in Ghana | Greenpeace International." Inspiring action for a green and peaceful future | Greenpeace USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug "Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania PA." Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania PA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug "E3.tvEarth Energy Environment TV Indian e-waste." E3.tvEarth Energy Environment TV Indian e-waste. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug "Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania PA." Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania PA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug " BBC NEWS | South Asia | Growing concern over India's e-waste." BBC News - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug " Poisoning the poor – Electronic Waste in Ghana | Greenpeace International." Inspiring action for a green and peaceful future | Greenpeace USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug Granger, Trey. "Bamboo Used to Make Laptop Computers - Earth911.com." Earth911.com - Find Recycling Centers and Learn How To Recycle. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug "Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania PA." Philadelphia Computer Recycling | Computer Disposal | Monitor Recycling | Monitor Disposal | PC Disposal | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania PA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug "Untitled Document." Use It Again, PA!. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug