According to the law, in Europe, at least 75% of large household appliances and 65% of computer equipment must be recycled. Specifically, with computers, there are three options: donate them to an NGO, deposit them at a recycling point or return them to the distributor.
Recycling
A data. The Ecolec Foundation managed and recycled 207,000 tons of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) during 2007, which represents 4.6 kilograms per inhabitant and year. The objective established by the European Directive is to reach 4 kilograms per inhabitant. Within this type of waste, computer and telecommunications equipment totaled almost 1,200 tons.
We must remember the importance of depositing electronic waste in points set up for this purpose, as some of its components are highly polluting. Laptop batteries and batteries are especially harmful to the environment, as they contain heavy metals. The old monitors Also, since they contain a cathode ray tube and phosphor. In a computer there can be platinum, copper or mercury, materials, all of them, very polluting. Ink cartridges and toner are other components that are harmful to the environment.
One of the associations That acts to solve this problem is the Ecofimática Foundation, which brings together 90% of office equipment manufacturers. It was created in 2002 as a solution to collect, manage and recycle your waste. It is a system adapted to the peculiarities of the sector, which has to manage large copying equipment, for professional use, and smaller printing equipment, for everyday use in homes. It also takes into account that the figure of the distributor plays a fundamental role. To facilitate the delivery of office automation equipment at the end of its useful life, Ecofimática collaborates with more than 700 collection points located in office equipment distribution channels. And it is also present in the Clean Points to allow citizens to deliver their obsolete equipment.
Another option, solidarity as well as ecological, is to donate old computers. For example, Iberia and Amadeus sent forty computers from Spanish travel agencies to three schools located in the city of Molina, in southern Chile, affected by the earthquake on February 27. Before sending them, the PCs were prepared, cleaning them of information and data for later use.
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