Sustainable IT | Ted Samson | TAG: Recycling

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TAG: Recycling

November 14, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Verizon recycling program fights domestic violence

November and December are busy months for me. There's Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Channukah, my parents' anniversary, my sister's birthday, my brother-in-law's birthday, my own birthday, and my dad's birthday. So I hope I can be forgiven for not realizing until today that tomorrow, Nov. 15, is America Recycles Day. (Spare a tree, please; don't send me a card.)

Yes, it's easy to be a bit cynical about the host of arbitrary "holidays" that clutter our calendars. (National Kazoo Day will be on Jan. 28; better start preparing.) But I can get behind America Recycles Day, especially when I learn about programs such as Verizon's HopeLine.

The way it works is, Verizon collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries, and accessories in any condition -- from any wireless service provider -- at its Communications Stores nationwide. Phones that can be refurbished are sold for reuse; those that can't are disposed of in an environmentally sound way. That part is good for the environment. Proceeds go toward providing wireless phones and cash grants to shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic-violence prevention and awareness.

Posted by Ted Samson on November 14, 2007 10:13 AM

November 09, 2007 | Comments: (0)

The greener -- and darker -- sides of MS's refurbisher program

Microsoft has launched the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) program through which companies that sell refurbished PCs can easily load licensed versions of Windows XP and necessary drivers onto their wares. You can read the details right here.

I've got mixed feelings about the MAR program. On the plus side, it may encourage more environmentally concerned, pennywise, and/or cautious-minded companies and home users to consider purchasing refurbished PCs. Let's break that down.

I say environmentally minded because every year, as recently reported by Leon Erlanger, the e-waste problem is big and growing. To paraphrase some of his report:

According to IDC, in 2006 alone, 30.7 million commercial PCs, or 70 percent of the total commercial installed base, were retired. Yet IDC estimates that only 33 percent of U.S. companies, mostly large enterprises, have made use of the asset disposal industry. In the European Union the number is closer to 40 percent. That's unfortunate, because the increasing number of retired PCs that end up in landfills results in more toxic pollution. PCs and monitors, especially old ones, contain a multitude of hazardous substances.

That's not good news. But what is good news is the fact that the market for refurbished systems is growing. Up to 28 million refurbished PCs will be sold this year, making up 10 percent of the global PC market, according to Microsoft said Hani Shakeel, senior product manager of the genuine Windows product marketing team.

I say that that refurbished PCs in general should appeal to the penny-wise because they simply cost less than new ones. It's entirely likely that two-year-old computers will suit the needs of the average home user or employees at an SMB, so if you go the refurbished route, you can save some cash.

Finally, there's the cautious-minded aspect to the MAR program, which I know is a controversial topic. Like it or not, if you want support from Microsoft, including access to necessary patches and updates, you need to be running a legitimately licensed version of Windows.

Through MAR, companies and end-users who buy systems from a participating reseller will know the machines are fully functional and ready to work out of the box, loaded with a version of XP that Microsoft will recognize and support. That provides some peace of mind -- and saves time that would be spent loading Windows onto the machines at the office. Those benefits could encourage more people to consider refurbished PCs as an alternative to new ones.

Now here's what might bother you about MAR, and it certainly gives me pause. Suppose a company sells 50 PCs to, say, TechTurn, one of the two refurbishers currently participating in MAR. The systems are in pristine condition, and all are running licensed versions of Windows XP Pro. However, the company's IT admin didn't keep the original OS CDs to demonstrate that each version of XP was legit, which is pretty common.

So TechTurn does a full wipe of the systems, down to the bare metal. Then, as a result, thanks to Microsoft's end-user license agreement, TechTurn has to pay for new Windows licenses for each one of those systems. Albeit, the licenses are discounted ones; still, that's an expense that presumably gets passed on to the buyer. So ultimately, Microsoft is reaping the benefits of selling a second Windows license for a PC that was already running one fair and square -- because the admin or user didn't save the original installation CDs. That part's not quite fair, now is it?

The thing is -- and this is me speculating -- Microsoft should have ways of probing systems to ensure they're running legitimate versions of XP. Why not supply refurbishers with the tools to do just that before wiping them? Systems that are could then be reloaded after they're wiped with the same licensed version of XP they ran pre-wipe. The refurbisher could even burn a copy of the necessary backup CD, for a neglible fee, and package it with the system.

What do you think about the MAR program?

Posted by Ted Samson on November 9, 2007 11:47 AM

October 30, 2007 | Comments: (0)

IBM's silicon recycling technique a boon for solar

Big Blue has devised a technique to reduce silicon waste that will save the company money and benefit the burgeoning solar-power industry, according to a Reuters report.

The company has found a way to remove silicon circuitry from wafers -- discs of silicon -- that are deemed too flawed to be used for processors, according to the report. Those little pieces of silicon have traditionally been discarded.

However, IBM engineers has come up with a technique to remove the circuitry "with an abrasive pad and water, which saves money and leaves the silicon in better shape for reuse," according to the report. "Eric White, one of the engineers behind the process, said it would let IBM get five or six monitor wafers out of one that otherwise would be scrapped. By extending the life of the silicon, IBM believes it will save about $1.5 million a year and leave more of the material available for the solar industry, where supplies have been tight."

Posted by Ted Samson on October 30, 2007 09:29 AM

October 16, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Office Depot offers one-stop shop for electronics recycling

Although I moved nearly nine months ago, I still haven't finished unpacking all of my boxes. Sad, but true. But I have tackled some over the past couple of days. In the process, I found plenty of papers to recycle, which is pretty easy. But I've also discovered I've amassed a number of old keyboards, mice, cords, as well as an old cell phone. What's to be done with that stuff?

I was thus interested to learn that Office Depot is now offering its Tech Recycling Service at its 1,100-plus locations in North America. The service essentially provides a one-stop shop for unloading electronics, including monitors, small televisions, printers, keyboards, digital cameras, cords, and cables.

The idea is, you go to the store and buy one or more Tech Recycling Service boxes, which cost $5, $10, or $15, depending on the size. Load your electronics into the box, then return them to Office Depot. The company takes it from there. The price of the box covers the shipping and handling.

Office Depot also offers a range of other recycling services, through which customers can recycle cell phones, rechargeable batteries and ink and toner cartridges. Through the Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling Program, you can get a $3 coupon in exchange for eligible empty cartridges returned (up to 25).

The Tech Recycling Service strikes me as a rather valuable service. Frankly, I don't know what else to do with my array of old and unwanted electronics. I don't want to toss them in the trash, but I doubt any school or second-hand store would want them.

What do you think? What do you do with your old, unwanted electronics?

Posted by Ted Samson on October 16, 2007 12:12 PM

July 17, 2007 | Comments: (0)

HP: Over 1B pounds recycled

Vendor aims to recycle another billion pounds of electronics and printer cartridges by 2010

HP: Over 1B pounds recycled The expression "What goes around comes around" is proving increasingly apt in the world of enterprise hardware as more companies discover the benefits of recycling retired PCs, servers, handhelds, and the like.

Indicative of the rising interest in hardware recycling, also known as IT asset recovery, HP has announced that its achieved its goal of recycling one billion pounds of hardware six months before the deadline it had set back in 2004. The company now seeks to recycle two billion pounds of gear and printer cartridges -- that is, another billion pounds -- by 2010.

"Environmental responsibility is good business," said Mark Hurd, HP chairman and CEO, in a written statement. "We've reached the tipping point where the price and performance of IT are no longer compromised by being green, but are now enhanced by it."

Pat Tiernan, VP of corporate, social, and environmental responsibility at HP, called the two billion pound goal for 2010 "the most aggressive recycling goal in the industry. "We expect to achieve it in three and a half years by expanding our convenient re-use and recycling services worldwide."

HP currently operates its program in 40 countries around the globe.

"In 2006 alone, HP recycled 164 million pounds of products globally -- the equivalent weight of more than 600 jumbo airliners and a 16 percent increase over 2005," said Tiernan.

Vendors that engage in hardware recycling refurbish and resell systems when possible ha or else mine the products for materials that can be used elsewhere. According to HP, plastics and metals it has recovered have been used to make a range of new products, including auto body parts, clothes hangers, plastic toys, fence posts, serving trays, and roof tiles.

Posted by Ted Samson on July 17, 2007 09:23 AM

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