In 2010 there will be over 315 million obsolete computers in the United States. Three quarters of which are estimated to be currently stored in office closets, company storage rooms, garages and basements.
Most business computers and office electronic equipment have a useful lifetime of only 2-3 years and because most computer equipment contains hazardous materials they need to be handled and disposed of properly.
FRG provides a complete e-scrap program designed to capture, remove and properly dispose of all electronic and related materials such as►
- Monitors, TV's
- PC's, servers, laptops
- Copiers, printers, faxes
- Keyboards, mice, cables
- CPU's, circuit boards, chips
- Storage devices, hard drives
- Typewriters, word processors
- Other miscellaneous electronics
- Routers, switches, hubs, modems
- Floppy discs, CD's, memory cards
- Office equipment, computer related
- Cell phones, desk phones, PBX boxes
About 70% of the heavy metals (including lead, mercury and cadmium) found in landfills come from regularly discarded electronics. Monitors with cathode ray tubes (CRT) can contain between five and eight pounds of lead each. Circuit boards contain lead, cadmium, mercury and other hazardous materials, too.
These materials can contaminate groundwater and pose other environmental and public health risks. Not to mention expose the companies dumping these products to potential legal/environmental complications.
A large amount of materials used in computers such as metals, glass and plastics can be recovered and used again to conserve natural resources. As much as 95% of all computers and other office equipment may be recycled.
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