88% of Electronics Exports Reused, Not Dumped 157
retroworks writes "Greenercomputing.com staff covered a study which sheds more light on the controversial practice of exporting used computer equipment overseas. University of Arizona professors Ramzy Kahhat and Eric Williams newly published research, Product or Waste? Importation and End-of-Life Processing of Computers in Peru apparently confirms what WR3A.org says in the Video 'Fair Trade Recycling'. Namely, that most of the exports of used computers imported by buyers overseas (88%) are really for reuse and repair. Otherwise, people would not pay to import them. This bolsters pro-export arguments made in a scholarly article by Charles Schmidt of NIH in 2006. Perhaps what is needed to stem e-waste pollution is not a ban on exports, but for more people to export, so that buyers have more choice of (ethical) suppliers. Put another way: If used computer exports are outlawed, only outlaws will export used computers."
Re:makes sense to me (Score:5, Interesting)
There's actually a really good market here in the states for "recycled" electronics. I know a big company who buys lots (like pallet fulls, not just a large quantity) from gov't auctions, and sometimes they're simply contracted by the government to haul off the equipment. They're perfectly good working units. They sell them through their store, and on eBay. What they can't sell because they're broken, they break down to components, and then have some 3rd parties that break them down more for precious metals.
They're SUPPOSE to wipe all sensitive information. I have received routers that were still configured for government agencies and large businesses. I don't know how they ever made it out the door of the original facilities, but they did. I've bought some really nice, and previously really expensive, equipment for real cheap. Sometimes some doesn't work quite right, but I'd say I have a >90% success rate with it.
Those shops never test them though, so I buy untested, and absorb my losses. BTW, if anyone needs a nice Cisco 5005, I have one sitting in the garage that needs a good home. :) I swapped it out for a Cisco WS-C2980G because it took up less space and less power. :) That, and I have 3 working spare 2980G's in case the first breaks. :)
They also sell lots of hard drives, but what would I do with 1,000 untested (i.e., not formatted) 80Gb drives, besides pilfer them for information? :) Nah, I have better things to do with my time.
The question is... How is it recycled? (Score:5, Interesting)
Check out this disturbing CBC video short documentary on how these people dismantle computers in the most unhealthy way. Both to themselves and their environment.
http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/environmentscience/ewaste_dumping_ground.html [www.cbc.ca]
Re:makes sense to me (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:And what happens after that? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:And what happens after that? (Score:1, Interesting)
You have to put it in context. That computer will never see a dump. For these kids ("http://www.spraguephoto.com/stock/images/Nicaragua/ni04-14%20Nicaragua%20Child%20scavengers%20on%20the%20Managua%20garbage%20dump.jpg") an entire PC worth of scrap metal (steel, aluminum, copper would likely be of interest to them) would be a windfall so it is safe to assume that somewhere between the original owner and the dump there's someone to scoop it. That doesn't account for everything: it seems unlikely that the quantities and technologies available would justify anything more than the most rudimentary recycling of the circuit boards but the fact is that at worst somebody took 30lb of US garbage and turned it into another 5-10 years of computer, 25lb of scrap metal and 5 lb of garbage. Compare that to the guy who tosses an old VCR in your dumpster. Neither is good but we can get one fixed while we're just beginning to massive socio-economic reforms needed to raise everyone to the point that they can throw away 30lb of metal without blinking an eye.
Re:Truer than you realize (Score:1, Interesting)
PIIIs are practically doorstops but they can do a great deal more with a penny of electricity than can a PII. I have at my house a 486, a P-I 166 a couple PIII 866s and a Phenom II 2.8. I wouldn't burden even the ARC with a PII. Not worth it to even turn them on.
Re:Lots of usable tech hitting the dumpster.... (Score:3, Interesting)
I was stuck on a 1 ghz p3 backup for a month a little while ago. Not bad under ubuntu. Hell I even ran kubuntu on it as it was snappier than gnome. There isn't much you can do with a box like that other than render web pages these days though. You should skim craigslist. I regularly see dual core machines for like $15o-200 right now and you'd be only like a generation or two behind. Nothing wrong with buying 2 year old computers for a decent price.... :)
I finally bought my first new computer ever though. It is easily the fastest machine that I've ever used and its a laptop. :)
dual core athlon64 2ghz, with ddr2 667 ram with hypertransport 3.0 is at least twice as fast as my old single core athlon 64 3000 which also ran at 2ghz.
Re:Lots of usable tech hitting the dumpster.... (Score:3, Interesting)
8-bit processors to 32-bit risc monsters
I think most desktops are now CISC [wikipedia.org] monsters.
Asides from faster busses and dual processors and (finally) 64-bit addressing, how much further have we really come?
Personally I've seen significant development in the last 10 years. Back 12 years ago, when I was at university studying electrical engineering, we were discussing the potential of radio modulation being done entirely in software - what a novel concept that was back then! When the i386 came out I was amazed at things like barrel shifters, and protected memory - protected memory, what a boon that was to multi-process operating systems! Then things got really complicated, with memory register sets for advanced multimedia computations; and chips handling multiple levels of security (now we have the hypervisor).
Whilst the desktop chips were becoming too complex for any single individual to understand (much like the motor car) the embedded chip market also changed.. 32 bits is now common in embedded applications; surface mount components and chips were just entering the market when I left university; now you'd be lucky to ever identify the value of a resister on a circuit board.. circuit boards are rarely a single layer any more.
Ten years ago the recording industry thought it had a monopoly on media distribution and charged us accordingly taking us for the suckers we were. Then the computer industry got smart and the networking industry prevailed. Now we have more lawyers than technicians thinking they have a say in technology.
As far as I'm concerned there's been an enormous amount of development in the last decade, to the point where I believe I can't keep up. I used to know everything I wanted to know about PCs. Now I don't. And I can't be bothered trying to learn as 2-3 years later a new chipset/architecture comes out. I certainly don't want to update my Microsoft operating systems as I'm convinced they will only restrict what I can do (DRM) rather than enhance what I can do.
My 2 Cents (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:And what happens after that? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:makes sense to me (Score:4, Interesting)
I've patched up my favorite laptop over five times now - replaced the LCD, upgraded the HDD, replaced the cooling fan assembly, upgraded the memory and replaced a circuit board that switched the LCD off. Each time it's been cheaper than buying a new laptop. Sending the machine away would have taken two weeks, cost at least a 200 pound service charge plus the price of marked up components, not forgetting the cost of return and delivery. Otherwise, just buying the parts and swapping them out just costs far less. Finding where to buy the spare parts was the hardest part.
Re:Lots of usable tech hitting the dumpster.... (Score:3, Interesting)
now you'd be lucky to ever identify the value of a resister on a circuit board
Well I could probablly lift it off the board with a set of heated tweezers, measure it and then solder it back on, annoying but certainly possible (at least down to 0603 package, probablly smaller).
Also while there are 32 bit embedded processors the 8 bit and 16 bit ones are still availible and afaict are still selling well. For many applications a pic in a dil or soic package on a 2 layer board is plenty and for low volume stuff MUCH cheaper than trying to deal with multi layer boards and/or parts small enough that you need professional assembly (yes it is possible to DIY with TQFP packages but it's not something I'd reccomend)
Re:And what happens after that? (Score:5, Interesting)
You mean the way it just did in Iran? People like to say that free and unfettered access to information is deadly to dictatorships, but there's a remarkable shortage of real-world examples.
Re:Lots of usable tech hitting the dumpster.... (Score:3, Interesting)
It's not just the average Mum or Dad. Sometimes us techies can't diagnose it's a problem with the hard disk either.
Case in point - my sister's computer (that I had built for her) was spontaneously crashing. The problem appeared to be a PSU issue (it had a 5-year-old 300W Antec PSU). Swapping out the PSU though didn't help - one (crappy) PSU it wouldn't post with, another it would spontaneously crash, etc.
I swapped out everything I had spares of, but couldn't diagnose the problem. Suspecting a motherboard problem, I eventually advised replacing the internals (they were starting to do things that would benefit from a CPU upgrade).
Several months later (after they'd moved house) their new machine started doing the same thing, and then started refusing to POST. Only three components had been transferred to the new machine - the case, the optical drive and the hard drive. Turns out that the hard drive spindle had become clogged with concrete dust (from their concrete floor) and was partially seizing up, making it use more and more voltage, and eventually tripping the hard drive. Finally it totally seized, causing the refusal to POST.
Never got the data from the hard drive, but their old machine is happily running as my test machine. I've even run an HD4870 in there (troubleshooting for a co-worker), off the old 300W PSU ...
Re:makes sense to me (Score:3, Interesting)
1. Most of that imported hardware being sold here are COMPLETE computers (working CPU + keyboard + mouse / monitor for an additional price) after fixing bumps and scratches.
2. Many of those "used" computers are equal or more powerful than an average ATOM and is being sold at 200 - 300 US$ (new netbooks go for 400+ US$). They are mainly used for people who want internet access and doing their school/university assignments.
3. The useful spare parts (memory, processors, DVD's, keyboards and mouse) are sold for CHEAP (new 160 Gb. SATA is about 65US$, used 80 Gb is about 20 US$ - used IBM keyboards go for 3.5 US$, same price for used IBM / Compaq / HP mouses).
Considering we don't have newegg.com prices here, getting a working computer for 250 US$ so your bugging adolescent siblings can access facebook and messenger is a relief for many many families, and it gives them access to technology.
Re:makes sense to me (Score:2, Interesting)
In many cases it goes even further than that. In large deployments, you get to the point where(because of a combination of cost of employee downtime, cost of IT tech time, cost of parts/replacements[if you are trying to maintain a consistent system across an organization, rather than merely equivalent specs, these often don't get much cheaper over time]) it becomes attractive to just toss all the machines of a given age, in case they break. This is one of the attractions behind a 3 year or 5 year automatic replacement cycle.
That leaves you with gigantic piles of machines that aren't broken at all, just no longer a good organizational fit.
This is true and very helpful for people like me who import parts on a very small basis to build cheap computers for schools here in Costa Rica and neighboring Nicaragua. The local rural schools just don't have the funding to buy even one computer for their staff and students to use. Heck! They don't have enough money for books, toilet paper, or soap in the bathrooms so the kids don't keep getting sick! A few of us have a small group who bring parts back with us each time we visit the USA and then use them to build computers or repair defunct computers. And we also donate TP and soap. Books are harder to find than computer parts.
Re:makes sense to me (Score:5, Interesting)
Years ago, I used to have a connection with a recycling company in Sacramento with just this sort of marketplace. I would go down to their warehouse (a few hours drive from my hometown) and pick up a huge truckload of computers right off the pallets. Good deals, too. 3-5 year old computers, monitors, keyboards that had been well treated, for sale as scrap.
I took them to my hometown and made quite a good living reformatting them, putting some spit and polish on them, and selling them as "remanufactured" computers. I offered a generous (90 day) warrantee but honestly, it was rare that I had anybody take me up on it. They were generally high-quality machines that had been well treated so problems were, by far, the exception.
The big deal was making them LOOK nice. For keyboards, I used to use a garden hose, a nylon bristle broom, dish soap, and the sidewalk in front of my house. (which got lots of afternoon sun) I'd squirt dish soap all over the keyboards, spray them down with the hose, and stand over them, brushing them vigorously with the broom. After the grit was all out of them, I'd rinse them profusely with the hose washing out as much of the soap and grit as I could. Then I let them dry for a while. California valley sun is VERY warm, so it only took a day or so.
Surprisingly, some 90% of the keyboards worked perfectly after that, and looked almost new. A hour or so of work and $0.25 of soap would usually result in $200 or so worth of clean, fresh keyboards, otherwise attained at $1 a pop.
O/S software was easy - they often came preloaded with some old corporate software image. If there wasn't a license sticker, I'd just dump the registry for the license key, grab the O/S CD, and 45 minutes later was up and going. (sucked when MS changed their license terms to prevent resale like this!)
Since my margin was about 3:1, I could take the time to see that each system was well tested and stable before I sold. That's not true for many new systems sold, I might add. I actually made more money on the used systems per system than I did the new systems at 4-5x the cost!
Of course, this was back when a "new" computer STARTED at $1,500. I saw the writing on the wall when the purchase price dipped under $1,000, right around Y2K, and sold out. There's just no market for used computers in the 'states, since labor costs are high and prices are low enough to not be worth it.
But for the 3rd world, this doesn't surprise me at *all*. Computers passed the point of basic usability years ago. Heck, I have a 6 year old laptop that has survived 3 years of my own rigorous use, and has been passed down through 2 other employees since. It still works fine today, I used it to test Windows 7! It plays Hulu/Netflix videos just fine, and even does a passable job with many of the games out today. If it wasn't for running Vista under VMWare, I could still be using it today.