Computer Reuse vs Recycling...Reuse is best

What should you do when you want to get rid of your surplus or “outdated” computers (often referred to as e-waste)?  This question applies to individuals, corporations, government agencies and others.

Recent newspaper articles suggest that the best, and greenest, answer is e-recycling, where computers are broken into their component parts and then recycled.

There is a much better choice. Computer reuse is well developed in Canada and other countries, but is
still in its infancy in the US. Jim Lynch of Compumentor.org wrote the definitive baseline study of noncommercial computer reuse. “‘Islands in the Wastestream’ challenges the widely held assumption that used computers are largely junk that aren’t useful to schools, nonprofits, or low-income families.

In fact ...Pentium III computers are perfectly suitable to meet the needs of these groups.”
http://www.compumentor.org/recycle/baseline-report/.
A recent study shows that reusing just one computer with a CRT monitor, rather than building a new one, saves 7,719 kilowatts of energy, 30 lbs. of hazardous waste, 77 lbs. of solid waste, 77 lbs. of materials, 147 lbs. (17.5 gallons) of water from being polluted, 32 tons of air from being polluted, and 1,333 lbs. of CO2 from being emitted. This is the equivalent of taking half a car off the road or saving 68% of one US household’s allotment of electricity for a year.

See http://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/resources/bencalc.htm
A used computer is not the same thing as a refurbished computer. The Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) program provides essentially free copies of Windows 2000 and XP to authorized refurbishers to rebuild used computers to their original, or better, conditions. With the addition of a
wide range of free and opensource software, a refurbished computer is actually much better than when it was new. For many purposes, it is actually better than a new computer.
The supply of surplus computers, when properly refurbished, fill another very important need. The Digital Divide is still with us. It seems inevitable that plans to close the Digital Divide (the disparity in access to technology along racial, socioeconomic and geographic lines) end up creating more problems than they solve. The most-discussed ideas aim to increase the availability of inexpensive computers by
lowering production costs or by subsidizing the production process. These measures not only require an endless supply of new computers to replace outdated or broken ones, they also lead to the disposal of massive quantities of electronic waste. Furthermore, they often fail to provide users with necessary training and technical support. As a result, they cannot be considered viable alternatives in the long-run. The most publicized example is the One Laptop Per Child Project or the $100 laptop being built for use in the third world by the MIT lab. According to Wikipedia, the current manufacturing cost is $135 -$175 without distribution, training or technical support. Many studies show that students with home computer do better in school than those without.

So, in many ways, we have an almost perfect problem/solution. The problem of e-waste becomes the
solution to the digital divide.

A few quick questions and answers.
     1. Doesn't it make sense to donate computers directly to schools and non-profits?
          A. Schools and nonprofits are generally don't have the technical expertise to refurbish a computer and the computers are accepted and become a problem to the school or nonprofit. It is a much better solution to go through a professional refurbisher.  A list of Microsoft Authorized Refurbishers are available (and searchable by zipcode) at
http://tinyurl.com/5kd4m )

     2. What about the data on my hard drives?
        A. The best thing to do is to wipe the harddrive before you donate it. This can be done easily by downloading a free wipe program like DBAN (http://www.dban.org/) and doing it yourself.
        Most reuse organizations also offer the alternative to have the drives wiped on donated computers. Donated computers with hard drives are more valuable to refurbishers that ones without drives, but, if necessary, remove and physically destroy the hard drive before donating.

     3. Aren't computers obsolete after just a few years?
        A. This is the biggest myth of all. A refurbished computer is at least as fast as it was when it  was new. It will, however have the latest Windows updates, and loads of great software that is actually free. Not just the basics, but a whole office suite, multimedia development software, anti virus, skill builders, and more.

     4. How in the world is a refurbished computer ever better than a new computer (besides the green implications)?
        A. A refubished computer (done right) doesn't have a lot of trialware that results in problems and hidden costs. It is not often stolen (like laptops). While a new computer is great for the latest games and the latest operating systems from Microsoft, it is certainly not necessary for the Internet, wordprocessing, photo editing, email, spreadsheet, etc., etc., etc. Also, if a refubished computer fails, it can easily be replaced by another refurbished computer.
     5. Computers are so cheap, is there really a digital divide?
        A. Yes there is. Low income households can't afford to buy a new computer. This is particularly true of new immigrants, disabled adults, and those returning to the cities from incarceration. Access to computers and the Internet are particularly important to these residents, students, seniors and those learning job related computer skills. Even if a household has a computer, there are often too many competing users. In many or most upper income homes, every member of the family has their own personal computer. We need to level this playing field for all to have access to information and the tools to succeed.

In summary.
Our society is largely “use and discard”. Recycling is very important, but not nearly as good for the environment as reuse. Much of the world can be described as “mend and make do”. With computer refurbishing, done right, it is “mend and solve a big problem”.

The Oakland Technology Exchange (OTXWest) is a large nonprofit refurbisher that provides computers to Oakland middle-school and high-school students after they attend a three-hour training session with their families. Since 1995, we at OTXWest have refurbished and distributed over 10,000
computers to Oakland families, free of charge. We have also supplied an additional 10,000 computers to Oakland schools, City of Oakland Park and Recreation labs, YMCAs, church basements, and other community groups for a fee of less than $100 per computer. Home computers come with an unlimited
warranty (as long as we are in business), and we take back computers that are no longer useful for recycling. Technical support for computers received from OTXWest is freely available on a drop-in basis. Access, tr4aining and technical support are all needed to keep the divide closed.

OTXWest has been endorsed by Mayor Ron Dellums through his citizen task force to end the digital divide. See the attached letter.

We can address the e-waste problem and we can eliminate the digital divide. But, we must think reuse first.