Recycling Computers and E-Waste

The use of computers and technology can both be a very good thing for our society, yet a very harmful and detrimental thing for our environment. Technology has advanced a lot over the years and it has really helped us to become more efficient in what we do. Computers are a form of technology which has done wonders for our society. Computers have allowed us to do much more in a much shorter time span. However, even though these new advances in technology have been great for our economy and society, they have been less than ideal for the state of our environment. Newer models of computers are coming out all the time and the older ones which become less efficient must be replaced. But what happens to these old computers when no one can use them anymore? Many of these old computers are being dumped in landfills which can be very dangerous to the environment. Most of the components used in creating computers are highly toxic and since they are being left in landfills, when we decide to finally dispose of them, the environment will be in grave danger.

In the blog “Get greener by recycling your computer equipment”, posted by the administrator in the blog “Computers”, the recycling of old computers and computer parts to prevent further damage to the environment is explored. The blog explains how there are many companies who are willing to take old computer parts for cash to recycle and reuse them. One of these companies is Staples, where you can go and drop off your old computer equipment with a ten dollar handling fee, and they will reuse the parts and recycle the parts that they cannot use properly.

The administrator writes that “It will be a dark day for the environment when we all finally decide to dispose of this clutter” (2009). This sentence has several meanings to me. First, the author means that it will be a very gloomy and horrible day when we dispose of our electronic waste. In this scenario, the author is using more colour imagery because they are using the word “dark” instead of “light” which refers to the feelings that people will get because of the disaster the environment will be in. It also has a more literal translation. The blog talks about the harmful chemicals found in batteries, cathode rays tubes and circuit boards which are dumped into landfills and can leach into soil and water, making them very polluted. These components of computers are also often put into incinerators which produce very toxic pollution in the air. In the literal way, this sentence can be seen as all of the pollution making the land, water, and air “dark” with pollution, so “it will be a dark day for the environment”. This sentence has some ambiguity to it, in that the readers can take it to be the literal meaning that it will be a dark day because the land, water and air will be dark with pollution, or that it will be a dark day as in a gloomy and horrifying day. However, although this sentence can be taken to mean two different things, both meanings agree that it will be a disaster when we finally dispose of our old computers and electronic waste.

Reference“Get greener by recycling your computer equipment” October 26, 2009. “Computers” Accessed October 26, 2009 from http://www.bigsurpowerdown.org/2009/10/26/get-greener-by-recycling-your-computer-equipment/.com