Obsolete Computer Equipment-what to Do

• Publication year: 2002
• Pages: 39
• Citation: Vol. 31 No. 2 Pg. 39

31 Colo.Law. 39 Colorado Lawyer 2002.

2002, March, Pg. 39. Obsolete Computer Equipment-What To Do

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Vol. 31, No. 2, Pg. 39

The Colorado Lawyer
March 2002
Vol. 31, No. 3 [Page 39]

Departments
Technology and Law Practice
Obsolete Computer Equipment - What To Do
by Robert B. Holt, Larry C. Smith

Robert B. Holt is a sole practitioner in Denver whose practice emphasizes Colorado trusts and probate law and Colorado-Texas interstate matters - (303) 398-7029. Larry C Smith is an attorney and consultant for Law Office Consulting Services, Inc. in Denver, which provides law practice management and technology consulting for firms of all sizes - www.lawofficeconsulting.com

Did your firm finally upgrade its outdated computer equipment in 2001? Is your storage space cluttered by used equipment for which you have not yet found a home? When the firm needs that space, a landfill is not the place for that equipment After more than a decade of heavy spending on technology and the rapid obsolescence of computer hardware, firms are finding that the question of how to dispose of used equipment is a difficult one.

A recent study by the National Safety Council indicated that in 2002, approximately sixty million computers will become obsolete and that, by 2004, the United States may be cluttered with 315 million obsolete computers.1 Less than 10 percent of that total is currently being recycled or otherwise reused. However, as community organizations and government agencies become more active in assisting with the proper disposal of such equipment, those numbers are expected to improve. This article provides some guidance to law firms and their clients on their responsibilities and options for proper disposal of used computer equipment.

Environmental Issues and Initiatives

Computers and other electronic equipment contain components made with heavy metals and other hazardous materials. Circuit boards, for example, contain lead, mercury, chromium, silver, and other metals, as well as flame-retardant chemicals. Batteries often contain lithium or nickel-cadmium. The most significant metal component in computer equipment is the lead in color cathode ray tubes ("CRTs"), found in both computer monitors and color televisions. Much of the weight of CRT monitors comes from the glass used in CRT technology, and the glass in one monitor can contain from two to five pounds of lead. When products containing lead are discarded in a landfill, the lead can poison the soil and water supply. With the growing popularity of flat-screen liquid crystal display ("LCD") monitors, more CRT monitors will become obsolete and require disposal.

Consumer organizations, governments, and electronics industry groups are taking steps to educate electronics consumers and better manage the waste stream. Many state agencies, such as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provide information to affected businesses2 and regulate the disposal of hazardous electronic wastes.3 In 2001, the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation also formed a Computer...