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A stream of finely ground recycled electronics contains copper and precious metals such as gold and silver. View Slideshow 
The number of obsolete PCs last year exceeded the number of new PCs shipped.
More than 500 million computers will become obsolete by 2007, resulting in 6.32 billion pounds of plastic and 1.58 billion pounds of lead, according to the National Safety Council.
With so many machines no longer useful, consumers and businesses must decide how to dispose of old PCs -- not to mention televisions, printers and PDAs. These devices often contain toxic materials like lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium that can pose serious health problems.
Although the electronic-waste problem is growing, some manufacturers are assuming responsibility for end-of-life product cycles and offering some incentives to customers who want to recycle their old computers.
Dell's Exchange program allows consumers to trade in an old PC for cash, recycle it and auction it to the highest bidder. They can also donate the refurbished computer to charity.
Gateway's new Trade-in system gives customers a rebate when they purchase a Gateway product and trade in their pre-owned PC or peripheral product.
Apple has a product end-of-life, and IBM offers product recycling for PC owners and small businesses.
Hewlett-Packard's Planet Partners creates a means to recycle PCs, printers, servers and scanners. The program charges shipping and handling fees, about $13 to $34 per item, to cover collection costs.
HP launched its recycling program nine years ago, when the company discovered that old PCs and other obsolete equipment meant for recycling were being dumped as electronic waste in Asia.
"We knew there was going to be a huge clean-up bill and we didn't want to be a part of it," said Renee St. Denis, HP's product recycling solutions manager.
The HP facility in Roseville, California, is now one of the world's largest recycling operations. Equipment is first evaluated to see if it meets standards for donation to schools and non-profits. If the equipment doesn't meet minimum standards, it is separated into commodities for reuse.
The $4 million processing line includes shredders that grind equipment into pieces the size of a quarter. After passing through the shredders, granulated computers move along conveyor belts to separated piles of steel, plastic, glass and other metals.
The Roseville facility processes up to four million pounds of used equipment a month from HP and other corporate customers' facilities. Last year, the company launched another facility in Nashville, Tennessee.
While most other manufacturers outsource recycling activity, HP's recycling centers keep close tabs on obsolete equipment to ensure that it doesn't end up in landfills or exported abroad.
"We know exactly what happens to every pound of material that comes to us," St. Denis said.
Manufacturer take-back programs are an important first step, but more has to be done to find a long-term solution to managing e-waste, say environmentalists and government officials.
"We're looking at having a way for manufacturers (to) accept some responsibility for the products they are producing," said Michael Paparian, California Integrated Waste Management Board member.
E-Waste: Dark Side of Digital Age
EPA: Old Computers No Longer Junk
