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The
Computer Report Card
Arthur Stamoulis
"The personal computer industry is turning its back on a massive toxic
trash crisis, endangering US cities, passing hidden costs to local
taxpayers, damaging the environment and threatening public health
in the third world countries where much of US electronics recycling
is handled," according to the Fourth
Annual Computer Report Card.
 The report, released by a national coalition of environmental organizations
led by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), graded 28 different
computer manufacturers on their environmental record in four major
categories:
• the use of hazardous materials
• recycling programs for old equipment
• worker health and safety
• the spread of information
The only manufacturer to receive a passing grade was Fujitsu, which
received a total score of 35 out of 68. The worst companies,
with scores of zero, were Daewoo, NEC International and Wyse Technologies.
The highest-ranking US companies were IBM and Apple, with Gateway doing
the worst of all nine US brands.
Computers can contain a number of highly hazardous chemicals such as
lead, mercury, PVC and more. These chemicals pose a threat to the
workers who manufacturer computers, and also pose a threat to the
environment when old computers are discarded. Approximately 12
million obsolete computers are disposed of in the United States
each year. Most end up in landfills or incinerators, allowing
toxic waste to get into the air or seep into our water.
Even of those computers that are "recycled," many end up being
dumped onto poor nations, where impoverished workers burn the
machines at great risk to their health and the environment, in
the hopes of finding re-sellable copper wiring and other internal parts.
The Computer Report Card evaluates companies based on how well
they reduce the use of hazardous materials in their manufacturing
process, and on how well they support and educate consumers about
legitimate computer disposal programs.
 In the past,
we have reported on Dell Computers' "exchange
program", which allows customers to auction off, trade in or donate
their old Dell machines. In the SVTC report, Dell came under particular
attack for not offering the same recycling opportunities to US consumers
as to those in Europe and Japan, where tougher environmental regulations
are already in place.
What's more, Dell was criticized for the fact that prisoners under
contract to Federal Prison Industries actually dismantle much of
the equipment that is mailed back to Dell for recycling. Prisoners
are the only slaves still allowed under the United States constitution,
and the report claims that, "Prison laborers are not guaranteed the
worker health and safety protections necessary to ensure their
protection against the hazards of recycling e-waste."
SVTC goes on to say that, "High tech chain gangs ultimately undermine
a vital electronics recycling sector that provides decent wages
and safe working conditions and that makes necessary technological
advances."
SVTC held a demonstration against Dell's use of prison labor
recently at the Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The Computer Report Card recommends that consumers use their
purchasing power to send a message about environmentalism to
computer manufacturers, and also to contact manufacturers directly.
All photos copyright the Computer TakeBack Campaign. Used by permission.
Visit www.computertakeback.org
and www.svtc.org.
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