United States proposes to set up a national recycling network for used computers

With the increasingly serious problems of waste computer processing, American computer makers, local governments, and environmentalists reached a principle agreement in a recent tripartite dialogue to try to establish a recycling network for used computers covering the entire United States.

According to the "New York Times" reported on the 22nd, the agreement requires an increase of $25 to $30 per PC retail price to fund computer recycling projects. The United States National Electronic Product Affairs Management Initiative, which is responsible for organizing the dialogue, hopes that the specific framework of the agreement can be completed by the end of September this year and will be gradually supplemented and improved in the next few years. If this agreement is finally realized, it will become one of the few nationwide recycling programs for used products.

According to Scott, the head of the National Electronic Product Affairs Management Initiative, the principle agreement “provides information to consumers that the purchase of computers and other products is not only responsible for use but also for post-retirement processing. Be responsible for".

Dealing with old computers has become a headache for local government in the United States in recent years. The toxic materials in the computer and the complicated design itself make the processing cost extremely expensive. For example, there are approximately 4 pounds of lead in the cathode ray tube of each computer monitor.

The National Electronic Product Affairs Management Initiative was established in April 2001 and consists of 45 representatives from major computer manufacturing companies, local governments, and environmental organizations in the United States.

Electronic waste is the world's fastest growing waste. These wastes contain toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium that cause serious environmental pollution. In 1998, there were more than 20 million obsolete personal computers in the United States. The resulting e-waste ranged from 5 million tons to 7 million tons. According to estimates by some environmental groups, the number of discarded personal computers in the United States will soon reach 300 million to 600 million, but there is no solution for recycling discarded personal computers. In February this year, there were reports that the United States exported 50% to 80% of high-tech waste to developing countries.