Dumping danger.

• Author: WEISS, SONIA
• Position: Brief Article

TECHNOLOGY RECYCLING HANDLES COMPUTER DISPOSAL

Bob Knowles was taking a leisurely drive in the mountains during the mid-1990s when he came to a frightening realization: He had helped create a technological time bomb. For 20 years, the Denver-based technology consultant had built and upgraded computer systems for a long string of clients. In his wake, he had left obsolete machines and parts that either occupied space in warehouses or were tossed into dumpsters.

"Think of it," Knowles said. "With technology lifecycles getting shorter and shorter, high-tech junk poses one of the largest environmental challenges we will face in coming years."

He wasn't the only one to think about it. The Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation started a Computer and Electronics Recycling Task Force in October. That group of 16 businesspeople, regulators, nonprofit recyclers and trash haulers is meeting monthly.

Their recommendation for business owners?

"It's too early in the process," said project manager Susan Castellon. "It's hard to suggest that people just hold onto them. But right now, in many cases, that's the best thing to do."

Landfills clogged with junked computers are just part of the problem.

Toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, mercury and silver are all used in the manufacture of motherboards, monitors and other computer components, and present an even greater environmental concern. They can contaminate the soil and groundwater surrounding disposal sites. And companies that dump computers containing pollutants can be held liable for it.

Knowles nearly ran his car off the road that day in the mountains. "Almost every client I had was asking me what to do with the old systems," he said. "I didn't have an answer...