Electronics recycling - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Computer chips made of wood promise greener electronics

  U.S. and Chinese researchers have developed semiconductor chips that are nearly entirely made out of wood-derived material.

• China's toxic e-waste capital is cleaning up its act

  If you want to see where your old electronics go to die, take a trip to Guiyu. For two decades, PCs, phones and other electronics have been shipped to this town on the southeast coast of China, where locals in thousands of small workshops pull them apart with buzz saws and pliers to extract the valuable components inside.

• A look inside China's most notorious e-waste town

  Guiyu is the town in China where your old electronics go to die. For years, it's been one of the main locations in the world where PCs, phone and other discarded products are shipped in to be pulled apart and recycled. The work is dirty and even hazardous, but lately Guiyu has been trying to clean up its act. Following is a slideshow to give you an idea what it's like.

• Dell to make line of PCs with recycled plastics

  Dell is making a line of PCs using plastics obtained by expanding its recycling program.

• Apple offers free recycling of its products worldwide

  Apple is offering to recycle its products for free worldwide, and has included even third-party products like mobile phones and PCs in the program in some countries.

• Trade groups look for uses for recycled CRT glass

  An electronics and a recycling trade group are looking for ways to reuse recycled cathode ray tube (CRT) glass from computer monitors and television sets, with a US$10,000 prize for the best proposal.

• E-waste firm convicted of falsely promising to recycle in the US

  Electronic waste recycling firm Executive Recycling has been convicted of multiple crimes, including environmental violations related to illegal disposal of e-waste overseas, mail and wire fraud, and smuggling and obstruction, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

• Apple drops, Wipro tops Greenpeace rankings

  First-time surprise entrant Wipro tops the list of rankings in the 18th edition of the Greenpeace "Guide to Greener Electronics," with Apple dropping two spots to sixth compared to last year's study.

• How CIOs can help curb e-waste

  Many have seen it: that picture of a small child playing in a heap of discarded metal scraps and wires in a Third World country. Images such as these have raised awareness about a fact of life in the computer era that's tainting corporate brands and creating a huge environmental problem: electronic waste.

• New EU proposals on e-waste to help consumers recycle

  All but the smallest electronics retailers in Europe could soon be required to take back unwanted electronics under new measures aimed at reducing e-waste.

• US gov't to push e-recycling, energy-efficient electronics

  The U.S. government will push its electronics suppliers to provide energy-efficient and easily recycled products under a new policy released Wednesday.

• Throwing away your old computer just got harder in Europe

  New rules on disposing of your old laptop, printer or mobile phone look set to come into force in the European Union. The European Parliament on Thursday voted to pass stricter laws on how the bloc deals with electronic and electrical equipment waste.

• Cash-in on old IT equipment

  Some organizations can earn a profit, or at least reduce the amount they have to pay to dispose of IT equipment, by allowing providers of IT disposal services to sell the assets they take away.

• Recycling IT assets is serious business

  Information technology departments that practice asset management are learning to master the art of retiring hardware at the right time. But making the decision to retire IT gear is just the beginning; tech managers must then figure out what to do with the systems that are past their prime.