Claiming that the true byproduct of technology is nothing more than a polluted earth, Earth Day worshippers are saying that hazardous chemicals from technology waste are polluting ground water and could possibly endanger human life.
Statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show that cellphones contribute 65,000 tons of waste each year to the already overburdened landfills in the United States, and Gartner research claims that 133,000 computers are discarded on a daily basis.
Technology gadgets can generate toxins including arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc, many of which can be linked to cancer and neurological disorders.
An environmental research organization partly funded by the EPA has estimated that cellphones are typically used for only 18 months before being replaced, along with cellphone power adaptors, which often will not work with a new phone.
Earth Day's agenda – in addition to other causes related to the restored health of the planet – is to heighten awareness surrounding the recycling of broken or unwanted cellphones, iPods, computer monitors, Palm Pilots, Blackberries, and every other small and large device that helps connect people with either the Internet or each other.
Environmental organization Earthworks has taken particular grievance with electronics manufacturers who make it increasingly easy for consumers to use cellphones and gadgets and then discard them with greater frequency than ever before. Earthworks claims that the metals used to construct these devices eventually pollute water and soil resources.
Earth Day criticism has also landed in the lap of iPod maker Apple Computer, saying that the company has not taken the same responsibility for encouraging consumers to recycle iPods and iPod Shuffles as it has with other computer products, in particular, Apple laptops.
Apple founder Steve Jobs' recycling program was recently compared to Dell and HP by Green Century Funds and the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and found to be less than adequate considering the rapid increase in e-waste and the environmental concerns it raises.
Environmentalists have planned a protest near Apple's headquarters in San Jose, Calif. to encourage Apple to jump on the green bandwagon.
In the meantime, Apple is sponsoring an initiative launched by eBay and Intel to create an informational website to help motivate consumers to recycle used gadgets. Dell has announced plans to step up its computer recycling efforts by 50 percent, IBM has increased its intake of recyclable computers up to 22,000 per week, and HP has predicted that it will recycle 42 million pounds of PCs, printers and other gear during the course of the coming year. Dell has also reduced the fixed recycling fee it charges customers at the time of purchase and is encouraging its rivals to do the same.
Additionally, by July 2006, the state of California will require all cellphone retailers to have an in-store recycling program, and states like Massachusetts and Minnesota are reviewing legislation that would make manufacturers pay the cost of managing waste from electronic products.
"This is not aluminum cans, this is not paper," Mark Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste, told CNET. "These are hazardous materials, and state and federal law provide zero tolerance for the disposal of hazardous waste. Ultimately, we need to see a commitment to zero disposal of these hazardous devices."
