Out With The Old, In With The New...But Wait!

One of the reasons computers make great gifts for the holidays is the guarantee that adults and kids of all ages will enjoy every bit and byte. If you are one of the lucky ones to receive the latest and fastest PC this holiday season, what will you do with your older, slower machine? Before you head for the dumpster, there are things you should know about clearing your home of an old computer in the most environmentally friendly way.

A newly-released study from Environment Canada documents the increasing number of waste computers and telecommunications equipment making their way to landfills and other disposal facilities across Canada. Computer technology is advancing at a rapid pace leaving users with older and obsolete equipment more quickly than ever. For this reason and numerous others, this report highlights the need for cooperative action to manage this growing waste management issue.

The report - Information Technology and Telecommunications Waste in Canada - provides baseline information on the amount of computer and telecom equipment waste currently being generated and handled in Canada. The report projects a growing number of computers will find their way to disposal facilities, mainly landfill sites. It demonstrates the need for government and industry to initiate activities and programs for the reuse and recycling of used computers and reduce potential releases of toxic substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium.

The report also includes a summary of programs that currently exist in Canada for used computers such as the Computers for Schools program run by Industry Canada. This program runs over 60 workshops across Canada and works with institutions, communities, business and governments to redistribute refurbished computer equipment to Canadian elementary schools and secondary schools. The Computers for Schools program also involves various companies such as Sears and Canadian Tire that donate their shipping services to deliver all old computers to the program.

The Government of Canada is committed to informing Canadians about potential challenges computer waste may pose on the environment. This report is the first step in providing decision makers in provinces, municipalities, industry and Canadians in their communities with good information to help them come up with viable solutions and policies. One of the key solutions to this issue is improved environmental management by industry, including the adoption of approaches such as Extended Producer Responsibility, design for the environment and toxics use reduction. This will have positive impacts throughout the economy on eco-efficiency and sustainable development.

Things you can do to help manage this environmental issue:

• to the extent possible, upgrade your PC rather than replace it;
• check with your equipment brand owner for their product take-back policies and programs;
• donate your old computer equipment to a family member, friend or a charitable organization;
• find a location in your community that accepts old computer equipment for refurbishing;
• check with your local computer store or municipality to learn about disposal or recycling options in your area.

A copy of the Information Technology and Telecommunication Waste in Canada report is available on Environment Canada's Green Lane.

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