49 Investigates: What an e-Waste!
11:21 p.m. Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Topeka — "Right about 3,000 is what you're seeing here."
No, it's not the warehouse at Best Buy, it's an electronics graveyard where old PC's, monitors, laptops, copiers, and various other gadgets go to die, or rather, get recycled.
Beverly Drew owns Asset Life Cycle which recycles old electronics, primarily for large corporate clients.
"We provide services that allow them to track their assets, know what they're doing with them, ensuring they're wiped all the information is off of them and disposing of them properly," Drew said.
Her customers sometimes turn over thousands of old machines when they upgrade to new equipment, and here, they're broken down to their component parts. There's bins for wires and circuit boards, and almost every other part you'll find under the hood of your PC.
Computer Recycling
For more information about recycling old computers and electronics, log on to Get Caught Recycling, the Kansas Computer Recycling Center or the Kansas Chapter of the Sierra Club.
But these parts are recycled not only for their intrinsic value. Paul Post with the Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club says, dumping e-waste poses significant long term risks to the environment.
"If computers end up in a landfill, eventually the equipment that comprises it will leach into the groundwater," Post said.
Old TV's and CRT monitors contain lead, and newer flat panel TV's and monitors contain mercury that can harm eco-systems over time. While e-waste recycling has become increasingly popular in the business world, the recycling of consumer electronics has not really taken off in Kansas.
"For a 105 counties, we do not have the collection infrastructure to adequately serve all the citizens of Kansas."
Kent Foerster with the state's Bureau of Waste Management say, until now, state officials have encouraged private enterprises to lead e-waste recycling efforts. But as consumer e-waste continues to grow, a comprehensive statewide recycling solution will become more imperative.
"We're still struggling with trying to get everyone on the same page to try to get that infrastructure in place," Foerster said.
In the meantime, Foerester recommends looking for e-waste collection drives sponsored by community organizations. Asset Life Cycle partners with community groups and companies several times a year to collect e-waste. One was held at the Security Benefit campus in Topeka recently. Employees were invited to drop off old equipment gathering dust at home.
Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Dell currently have recycling programs. They'll accept your old machine for free, or for a small cost.
Another option is to call around to schools, churches and social service organizations that might find a donation of your old gear useful.
But beware of unscrupulous operators that just say they recycle electronics. Beverly Drew says there are companies that offer to take your old equipment, then just take the most valuable components to make a quick buck, and throw the rest in a landfill.
"We've actually been called into some companies in Kansas City to cleaqn out a basement where somebody decided they wanted to start a business in the bottom of this warehouse and left it all there because they couldn't make any money."
Drew says she expects e-waste recycling will continue to grow. She's bet her business plan on it, but says it won't really take off until lawmakers create strict e-waste disposal regulations.
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