Computer recycling: Kudos to HP; Apple’s tough stance

Confusion

We (Matt) spent most of last week trying to make sense of the state’s recycling laws for computers and other devices.

Here is our story in today’s Merc that tries to explain all the confusing laws passed lately, and it provides some tips, including Web sites with info in the Silicon Valley area.

Matt’s Dell has been acting up, and he’s about to scrap it, so this story was a way of sorting through what you do with it when you’re done. Did you know that the majority of computers — filled with toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium and chromium — end up in landfills out of state or abroad, where they can leach and poison water supplies?

Matt was thinking of buying a Mac. But his phone call didn’t go too well with Apple.

Apple has announced a pretty sophisticated recycling policy, but doesn’t reveal any data about who its recyclers are. Here’s a paraphrase of Matt’s conversation with an Apple spokeswoman. We’ve heard from colleagues how tough Apple is on reporters. We experienced it first hand:

Q: Who are your recyclers?
A: We don’t reveal that information.

Q: Why not?
A: We don’t reveal that information.

Q: Uh, I was just asking why you don’t reveal such information, in other words why you came to that decision not to?
A: We don’t reveal that information.

Q: That’s not very helpful.
A: Sorry, we don’t reveal that information.

Which manufacturer is the most progressive? Hewlett-Packard. So we’re thinking right now of buying an HP. HP is promoting policies that would encourage manufacturers to take back their computers and other devices for recycling. HP was responsive and very helpful, getting me experts to talk with. Talking with Apple was like pulling teeth. They simply ignored my emails in some cases. For example, Apple says its iPods now meet Europe’s RoHs standards, but that doesn’t meet they’re not toxic. The iPod’s batteries are really tough to take out, and that’s just one reason you shouldn’t put an iPod in the trash. We wanted to talk some of this throughs with Apple, but no response after than initial stifling conversation. Apple also never got back to us on whether its Macs meet RoHs standards.