Microsoft joins with Dell to tackle e-waste on Earth Day | VentureBeat | Green | by Camille Ricketts
Summary
Landfills are piling up with old computers, cell phones, and other electronics — many of which contain toxic materials that can contaminate groundwater, or never biodegrade. To do so, they are joining an existing recycling program run by Goodwill Industries International, the same organization that collects used clothing and furniture to sell at a discount to communities that need them. So far, Goodwill reports that the Reconnect program has saved about 96 million pounds in electronics that would have otherwise wound up in landfills. As part of the cultural consciousness, Goodwill, already the destination for so many used goods, is a natural pick for average consumers looking to unload old gadgets. Commercial e-waste producers have a lot more choices when it comes to disposing of their old electronics, including companies like CloudBlue, RecycleMatch and eRecyclingCorps.
