| Much to many people's surprise, recycling of | | | | indicated) and called for a no charge FedEx pick |
| electronic products has been around since these, | | | | up. |
| now, indispensable products have been in | | | | Return credits - For the most part, all concerned |
| existence. For much of that time the recycling | | | | are taking their products back if a new item is |
| process was more oriented toward greed with | | | | purchased. Dell will actually pay you for your |
| the recovery of precious metals like gold and | | | | recycling effort even if you recycle at your local |
| silver being the main goal. Oddly, electronics | | | | center. Just show proof of it. Dell in particular has |
| manufacturers have been right on top of the | | | | a good reason for reuse programs as lithium cells |
| issue, if not wanting on getting the message out | | | | are easily reused and they offer a model for |
| that they are on top of the issue. | | | | every laptop or electronic device (or so it would |
| Owing to its heavy concentration in laptop | | | | appear.). |
| batteries, Dell computer has become a leader in | | | | Marketing v. altruism |
| recycling and promotion of the three "R's"; | | | | Non-profits, education, less fortunate - Deciding |
| Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Most manufacturers | | | | what can be reused and what needs to be |
| are following the same process for reuse and | | | | recycled is the leading "in-process" step for |
| recycling. This is an idea of what they are up to | | | | recycling. Ideally, these companies would like to |
| with credit for Dell being a leader. | | | | reuse product to lower costs and increase |
| There are several steps in the recycling of Dell | | | | margins. We're not talking sainthood here for the |
| laptop batteries, monitors, printer cartridges and | | | | manufacturers. However, there is a window of |
| alike. They include: | | | | use opportunity where the manufacturer can take |
| Getting the components to a recycling center for | | | | credit for giving a not-so-old unit to a non-profit. |
| sorting | | | | After all they will get it for recycling eventually. |
| Marketing v. altruism | | | | Extracting raw materials - This is where Dell and |
| Determining what needs to be recycled v. reused | | | | the others make the cash from recycling. It's not |
| Extracting raw materials | | | | big money and it even costs to recycle on |
| Return programs | | | | occasion. This step takes the entire unit and strips |
| Mail back -The big deal in hardware recycling is a | | | | it right down to its most basic components. Lead |
| return label inside the new unit's box. This one is | | | | for laptop batteries to silver and gold for |
| nice because the return label is right on top where | | | | connections. Copper is a so-so these days even |
| you cannot miss it, and in its own bag. For my | | | | though copper prices are very high because the |
| home printer, I simply put the old unit in the new | | | | connections are getting so small wires are |
| box, slapped on the return label where indicated | | | | becoming almost impossible to use. |
| (their sorta fussy on this) taped it up (again as | | | | |