The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes standards dealing with the proper disposal of electronics components and of cleaning supplies and consumables (toner). It's important to follow these standards, not only because it's the right thing to do for the environment, but also because in many cases, it's the law. These guidelines are published at http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm .
Many cleaning supplies also have their own specific disposal guidelines contained in a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). You can obtain the MSDS for a chemical from the manufacturer, usually from its Web site. In some cases, the proper disposal procedure for a chemical is also printed on its container.
To effectively deal with equipment and consumables that are potential environmental hazards, you should not only be able to enumerate what items require special disposal, but you should also understand why they do. When you know why things are hazardous, you can make judgment calls when you encounter new equipment in the future that isn't on the specific list to which you normally refer.
Notebook PC battery you would take to recycling center or hazardous waste center. Why, because batteries can contain heavy metals such as nickel and cadmium.
Standard alkaline battery such as in a flashlight and Coin-style battery such as on a computer motherboard is okay to throw in regular trash. Why, because this type of battery doesn’t require special handling.
CRT style monitor should be donated to a charity or take to a recycling center or hazardous waste center. Phosphors and lead are used in the monitor; in addition, the large, boxy nature of such a monitor means it takes up lots of space in a landfill.
Toner cartridges are return to manufacturer for recycling or disposal, or take to recycling center or hazardous waste center. The fine powder in toner can resent a breathing hazard if it’s dispersed in the air, and the plastic cartridge can take up space in a landfill.
www.valleycomp.net Jeff Tilton
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