PC Recycling Campaign Pressures Dell

The Hard Drive Across the West, part of the national Computer Take Back Campaign led by several nonprofits, collected obsolete Dell electronics from Denver donors to take to Austin, Texas, for Dell's shareholder meeting Friday.

"At last year's shareholder meeting, Michael Dell told us that there is no consumer demand for computer recycling," said Robin Schneider, executive director of Texas Campaign for the Environment, an environmental organization. "This campaign will show him that there is."

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 3.2 million tons of electronics are thrown out every year. EPA estimates many consumers toss their computers every three to five years, and nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years.

"We want Dell to be responsible and create a recycling system that is just as effective as their selling and distribution system," said Greg Sobczynski, assistant staff director of Clean Water Action in Denver, a partner in the campaign.

 Dell spokesman Bryant Hilton said Dell has been working on its consumer programs for safe disposal of computer waste, which contains toxins such as lead. One Dell program allows customers to recycle computer equipment at a cost of $15 per 50 pounds.

"And we still require recyclers not to landfill or export any waste that is environmentally sensitive," Hilton said.

Dell also put on a Recycling Tour, which was the biggest effort in the United States, said Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

The tour ended Friday in Atlanta, and collected about 900 tons of computer equipment. In Denver, 215 tons of waste were collected, shattering a national record for tonnage collected at a one-day event, Krebs said.

Schneider said, "A one-time tour is not enough; a few advertisements, and a program that asks consumers to pay for disposal will not work. The industry needs to find an everyday solution to an everyday problem."

One solution might be to build a recycling fee into the cost of the product. – The Denver Post Online