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Definitions
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End-of-life PCs
are PCs that are no
longer in working condition
and require disposal.
While refurbishment
offers the potential
to extend a PC’s
life by as many as five
years, ultimately the
PC will be replaced
with newer technology
and hence become redundant
and require disposal.
- E-Waste
includes all end-of-life
PCs and peripherals
(for example: keyboards
and monitors) that require
disposal. E-waste is
non- bio-degradable
(plastic, metal and
glass) and therefore,
when dumped in a landfill,
it will remain there
for thousands of years
without disappearing.
Additionally, e-waste
often includes hazardous
components like lead
and mercury, which means
that it should be disposed
of in a hazardous waste
dump. However, because
disposal in hazardous
waste dumps is so costly,
e-waste frequently lands
up in ordinary landfills
and this is potentially
very harmful to the
environment.
- Environmentally
appropriate disposal
of PCs
- Until recently the
majority of end-of-life
PCs ended up in landfills,
with very little recycling
of parts, and little
concern for the hazards
to the environment imposed
by the lead, mercury
and other toxic substances
they contained. However,
with increasing international
legislation on the manufacture,
use, and disposal of
electronic and electrical
appliances (including
PCs), the issue of how
to dispose of end-of-life
PCs has become increasingly
important.
Every
year, 1.5 million old
computers are buried in
landfill sites around
the world. This is hazardous
to the environment because
of the high lead content
of PCs. The European Union
Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) Directive
was approved by The European
Union at Brussels on the
8th November 2002. The
directive states that
businesses are no longer
allowed to simply dispose
of their equipment in
skips or landfills, as
has been possible until
now. The Directive aims
to reduce the waste arising
from electrical and electronic
equipment and to improve
the environmental performance
of all those involved
in the life cycle of electrical
and electronic equipment.
The Directive makes the
producers of electrical
and electronic equipment
responsible for the entire
life-cycle of their products,
including disposal (A
copy of the WEEE Directive
is included in the reading
list below).
It
is only a matter of time
before African governments
develop their own legislation
on electronic waste. Therefore,
African PC importers have
to become more vigilant
about the quality of PCs
they import from the developed
world (Africa does not
want to become a dumping
ground for the developed
world’s waste and
have to cover the cost
of disposal of the developed
world’s end-of-life
PCs). Additionally, African
PC importers, refurbishers
and users will need to
develop environmentally
appropriate strategies
to dispose of their own
e-waste. It is becoming
vital that disposal costs
be factored into the cost-benefit
analysis of importing
second-hand PCs to Africa,
and that environmentally
appropriate ways of disposing
of IT equipment are identified
in each African country,
especially those planning
to import large numbers
of second-hand PCs.
Ideally,
African PC importers will
only accept PCs from donors
in the developed world
if those donors agree
to either take back the
PCs at end-of-life, or
to help cover the cost
of disposal at end-of-life
(see the reading on Digital
Links).
- Recycling
PC e-waste refers
to the decommissioning
and disassembly of end-of-life
computers into their
component parts and
the process of reclaiming
the composite metals,
glass and plastics for
re-use in other products,
thus minimizing landfill
and associated waste
and pollution. There
are an increasing number
of companies around
the world who make their
money by recycling electronic
goods and selling off
their component parts
(see the presentation
by the International
Association of Electronics
Recyclers listed in
the reading list).
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