Personal computers are a growing waste management problem. In 1998 alone, more than 20 million PCs became obsolete in the US, and fewer than 11 percent of them were recycled. The rest - almost 18 million computers - were landfilled, incinerated, or stored away in closets or warehouses. By 2007, the cumulative number of obsolete computers in the US is expected to rise to 500 million. Although recycling facilities for computers are increasingly available, techniques for waste prevention, such as extending computer lifetimes, need to be improved.

This fact sheet, provided by INFORM, provides strategies that government agencies, businesses, individuals, and institutions such as schools and hospitals can use to minimize the volume and toxicity of their electronics waste.

The attached Zip file includes:

• Intro Page.doc

• Cover Sheet and Terms.pdf

• Community Waste Prevention Toolkit - Computers.doc