nitors.It has been estimated that there are ten million cathode ray tubes currently in use or stored awaiting a disposal option in New Zealand.
In true Kiwi do it yourself style, RCN & Associates Ltd and Rose Engineering have teamed up to develop a process, and have locally designed and built equipment for the environmental disposal of end of life cathode ray tubes and TVs.
Millions of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) exist in New Zealand as they make up the display device in most computers and televisions. They contain within them many toxic materials as well as the lead such as barium, cadmium, mercury and arsenic.
During the Cathode Ray Tube Disposal Process both the partners play a part. The Monitors or TVs are dismantled and broken down into its component parts. This results in plastic, copper, aluminum and steel all being recycled. The printed circuit boards are further processed environmentally at an ISO Certified Disposal Centre which deals with dangerous wastes environmentally.
The tube then goes through a number of processes including the separation of the lead bearing glass. This glass is consolidated and exported to a lead smelter and used as flux in the smelting of lead.
For further information contact:
General Manager, RCN
Phone: + 64 9 413 8533 ext 204
Cell + 64 (0) 21 739757
The Ark is an Auckland based company that recovers computers from industry, refurbishes them and sells them at low cost to schools.
This has enabled schools like Aorere College in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, to purchase 60 refurbished computers at a price that was significantly cheaper than buying new computers, enabling the school to take up teaching text-processing on computers instead of typewriters.
Most of the computers that the Ark restores would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Over the last three years the Ark has taken in over 8,000 computers and has yet to dispose of any parts.
They have put 3,000 refurbished units into schools, have dismantled approximately 3,000 for parts and have an inventory of about 2,000 in their warehouse.
At 25-30kg per complete computer, they have diverted between 200 and 240 metric tonnes of potential waste from landfill.
Similar computer recycling businesses exist in Wellington and Christchurch.
If you are interested in purchasing refurbished, guaranteed computers contact:
Or for more general information on how to donate computers, refer to the Computer Access NZ (CANZ) Trust website.
CANZ recycle business computers for schools and the community. http://www.eday.org.nz
Other computer refurbishers include ....
United Nations Study
A U.N. study highlights the environmental hazards posed by the worldwide popularity of personal computers. Manufacturing the average PC requires 10 times the product’s weight in fossil fuels, says the study -- compared to twice the product’s weight for cars and refrigerators. Computer manufacturing also entails heavy use of toxic chemicals. To make matters worse, the lifespan of a PC is short and getting shorter, while sales continue to boom, making for a massive disposal problem. Discarded computers are often shipped to poorly managed facilities in developing countries to be recycled, leading to toxic waste and health risks for workers. The study calls on computer manufacturers to make their products easier to upgrade and U.N. member states to encourage citizens to purchase used PCs and use them longer. Thirteen countries, mostly in Europe, have passed legislation on computer recycling. The U.S., the world’s largest PC producer, has made no moves in this direction.
Source: BBC News, Tim Hirsch, 08 Mar 2004 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3541623.stm>