Reduce, Reuse or Recycle Your Hard Drive.
My current laptop is coming upon its first birthday. In computer years this could be its 50th.
Technology changes so quickly that computers are deemed ancient after only two or three years, even though their hardware is made to last seven years and their software three, according to 2007 statistics cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
We replace computers often to keep up with changing technology yet buying a new computer and disposing of an old one is not something to be done on the fly as the environmental impact of these machines is significant. Metals, petroleum-based plastics and large amounts of energy and water are necessary for the manufacture and processing of computer parts. For this reason, keeping a computer as long as possible and thoughtfully finding it a new home at the end of its life (including erasing your personal information) are important actions for your green-hued inner geek.
Why Avoid Landfills
Landfill
Many of our landfills are nearing capacity, causing communities to research alternative options such as shipping or incinerating waste. The drawbacks to these are the use of fossil fuels for transportation and the emission of pollutants from burning, particularly if hazardous materials, such as computers, accidentally end up in the waste stream.
If computers end up in landfills, there is the potential for harmful chemicals to leach into the soil and groundwater, even with barriers set up to keep toxins contained. The California Integrated Waste Management Board notes that computers may contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, copper and chromium. Chemicals that may be found in computer parts, according to the California Air Resources Board, include volatile organic compounds, phthalates and ozone.
Donate
Donating your computer to a nonprofit school or other organization can save them money, make resources available to students and can even provide machines to train future computer technicians. Pentium PC or Mac Power Level computers that are less than four to five years old can be reused through donation to a school or nonprofit.
While some organizations will accept direct donations, others may prefer the computer go through a national clearinghouse first. The EPA recommends the following organizations: National Cristina Foundation (NCF), which provides usable working computers to nonprofits (their current focus is in Chicago and Pennsylvania but they are looking to expand); Computers for Schools, which provides low-cost technology options for students in classrooms; and Intel’s Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT) program, where students recondition computers for reuse in the classroom.
Recycle
Organizations may not always accept donations of older machines, making recycling the only responsible option in order to divert computers from landfills. Select municipalities, computer manufacturers and other businesses accept computers for recycling. Look for special Earth Day programs or visit the general recycling resource Earth 911, which allows you to search regions for appropriate recycling programs.
In addition to locally-driven initiatives, take-back programs are offered by Dell, Hewlett Packard and Apple. Dell makes available a computer recycling kit which allows customers to recycle their computer with Dell or donate it to a nonprofit such as NCF. At Hewlett Packard, the company established Planet Partners in 1987 as a take-back program for consumers and businesses allowing people to “return any piece of computing hardware from any manufacturer” for reuse or recycling in a manner that conserves resources. The cost ranges from $13-$34 per item. Apple has a similar program for what they label qualifying purchases.
Wipe Your Drive
Before saying your good-byes, you need to ready your computer, wipe it with a clean cloth, give it a hug and thank it for all its hard work. Seriously, you need to wipe the hard drive clean so no one can access the personal files and information stored on the hard drive’s bits and bytes, particularly as identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes around. You can DIY or hire the pros. General steps for erasing info include:
>> Back up important information on portable media such as CDs, DVDs, an external hard drive or a flash drive.
>> Prepare your computer for the format by creating a start-up disk (necessary for Windows systems).
>> Reformat the hard drive so it will be ready for a new operating system (OS) and wipe out everything on it.
>> Use freeware or software to wipe the hard drive clean, repeat multiple times.
>> If donating the computer, reinstall the OS; include the CDs and manuals.
In with the New
Add energy-efficiency, chemical content and take-back programs to the list of specs you investigate when shopping for new technology. Some resources include: Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics and the EPA’s Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). As of January 2008, all computers listed on EPEAT are Energy Star compliant.
It is possible to influence companies, even ones that seem like electronic behemoths, by choosing where and how to spend our money. And when we’ve typed our final keystroke, choosing the final resting place of our computer can make a difference for the planet.
Resources for Recycling
Multimedia
The U.S. EPA produced a good video, Pass It On, discussing the benefits of computer reuse: epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/plugin/reuseit.htm
Also by the U.S. EPA, Do the PC Thing: epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/plugin/pdf/pcthing-con.pdf
Info wiping guidelines from Microsoft: microsoft.com (keyword ‘wipe hard drive’)
Donation Resources
National Cristina Foundation: cristina.org/donate.html
Computers for Schools: pcsforschools.org
InterConnection (In Seattle, will accept shipments): interconnection.org
Goodwill: goodwillindustries.org
StRUT: strut.org and intel.com/intel/other/ehs/rethink_reuse.htm
Recycling
Earth 911 (includes municipalities, organizations and retailers): earth911.org
Dell: dell.com/recycle
HP: hp.com (keyword ‘recycle’)
Apple: apple.com/environment (keyword ‘recycling’)
Hard Drive-Erasing Software
Freeware:
Leo Laporte (Cleanup!, Tru-DeleteUtility):techguylabs.com/radio/Main/Freeware
Apple’s ShredIt X (for Mac OS X or later): apple.com/downloads/macosx/system_disk_utilities/shreditx.html
For Purchase:
Norton’s SystemWorks includes Wipe Info: symantec.com
Ontrack Data Recovery (for companies): ontrackdatarecovery.com/hard-drive-software/ontrack-eraser.aspx
Jetico BCWipe (for Windows and Unix): jetico.com/bcwipe3.htm
Computer Purchase:
Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics: greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up
EPEAT: epeat.net
The information given here is not a substitute for professional advice from a computer expert, but is meant as an educational guide. Please follow through with your own research.
Stephanie Parent earned her master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy at Clark University and works to increase individual, company and community sustainability. She was inspired to write this piece by LA YOGA editor Felicia’s comments about what to do with her about-to-be-replaced five-year-old laptop with missing keys.