Business & Innovation...

So you got a new computer. It's super fast and way better than your last
one. You marvel at how quickly technology changes. You wonder how you're
going to get all your files to the new machine. You get your programs
installed. You set your preferences, put a little 'go green' sticker on
it and you are ready to go. But what to do with your old one? Sell it?
Donate it? What if its totally unsalvageable - broken beyond repair. You
can't just throw it out. Garbage collectors sometimes won't even pick it
up. That and uh, your computer is, uhm, toxic waste.

According to an article in Mother Jones:

"Electronic waste accounts for 2 percent of America's trash in
landfills but 70 percent of its toxic garbage. In 2003 alone, 3 million
tons of e-waste were generated in the United States."
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2007/03/iwaste.html

If you have thought that you were sneaky and your solution has been to
give it to the Goodwill and let them deal with it. You're not alone.
According to their website
(http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/howweoperate/recycling) last
year alone Goodwill industries handled 23 million pounds of computers
and MOST of those donations were unusable.

The financial burden to Goodwill safely dealing with all this e-waste
was daunting. Now they have a very simple solution they are trying out
in my neck of the woods, Los Angeles. They're actually doubling as
e-waste recycling places, inviting people to dispose of their old
computers at donation centers. The last time I donated there was a sign
posted making the announcement. I called the Goodwill Headquarters to
follow-up and they are now accepting computers for recycling.

I'm all for making recycling easier and more accessible. The less
obstacles people have to jump through to get rid of e-waste the less
likely there will be hazardous disposals. And locating Goodwills is
easy. They are like foreclosure signs - they're everywhere.

So now when you're donating all the clothes that you have finally
admitted you'll never wear (ever) again, you can more safely dispose of
your e-waste.