Page 663 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

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634 Waste Management Practices: Municipal, Hazardous, and Industrial

FIGURE 22.2 Electronics waste drop-off area at a materials recovery facility.

● Transportation costs (to the demanufacturer/recycler)
● Economies of scale effects, which should lower program costs in the long run
Other general conclusions were as follows (U.S. EPA, 2002a):

● Transportation, demanufacturing, and disposal are the main cost considerations for col-
lection pilot programs. New programs, however, incur a number of one-time costs.
Operational costs may be more relevant in the long term.
● Recovered computers have the most material value, but CRTs, which are costly to man-
age, are frequently collected. The number of CRTs managed has a major impact on net
cost values.
● Geographical location affects transportation costs to demanufacturers and recyclers. For
example, CRT recyclers are more prevalent on the east coast, leaving smelters as more
viable options for the Midwest and West regions.
● Compared with residentially collected electronics, commercial used electronics has a
higher recovered value, is more uniform, and is easier to disassemble.
● The ability to sell at least a few products for positive income makes a big difference in
the overall cost of a collection program.
A number of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including Compaq, Dell, Gateway,
HP, IBM, and Micron offer electronics leasing and take-back services. While environmental con-
siderations are a factor, demand from large corporate customers are driving the development of
these services. OEMs such as HP are taking computers back from their higher volume customers
but do not widely advertise these services. Many corporate customers have become aware of the
implications of improper disposal such as regulatory liability and loss of proprietary information.
22.6.2 REUSE AND RESALE

Reuse and resale are potential outlets for recovered computers. Schools, nonprofit organizations,
and low-income households as well as foreign markets often welcome the opportunity to acquire
older computers. Certain laws such as the 21st century Classrooms Act for Private Technology
Investment (a provision to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997) provide tax incentives for corporations