Q. Can’t I just throw my obsolete computers away?
A. No. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the California Department of Toxic Substances (CRT Emergency Regulation) prohibit the improper disposal of obsolete computer equipment. Improper handling can result in fines and other civil penalties, in addition to tarnishing your company’s image.

Q. What is hazardous in the old computers?
A. Each computer display monitor contains an average of 4-8 pounds of lead. Monitor glass contains about 20 percent lead by weight. About 70 percent of the heavy metals (including mercury and cadmium) found in landfills come from electronic equipment discards. These heavy metals and other hazardous substances found in electronics can contaminate groundwater and pose other environmental and public health risks.

Q. How can I legally dispose of my obsolete computer equipment?
A. There are three ways to legally dispose of your old electronic equipment:
1. Donate your equipment to charity. Increasingly charities such as Goodwill San Francisco are unable to take donations of computer equipment “due to the high cost of disposal and stringent government regulations”. Additionally, this does not relieve your company of liability if the non-profit mishandles or improperly disposes of your Electronic Waste.
2. Resell your old equipment. This is a very expensive option. According to Dell Financial Services “Organizations that decide to sell computer equipment themselves often find unexpected expenses. Industry experts estimate that each PC's disposal can exceed $400.”
3. Recycle through a Certified E-Waste Recycler. This is the most cost effective option. Hi-Tec Recycling will handle your E-Waste in the most environmentally friendly manner possible.

Q. Are you certified?
A. Yes. We are certified with the State of California. Our CA Electronic Waste ID (CEWID) is #106932.

Q. What do you do with my old electronics?
A. When Hi-Tec Recycling receives your obsolete equipment it is sorted in our warehouse to determine the proper processing. We resell the functioning product for reuse or refurbishment, and the scrap we sell to companies that further break down the commodities. Equipment that is too outdated to be of any use is sold as scrap to companies that de-manufacture, separate and smelt the metals and bale the plastics, and other buyers that process the CRT's for the State of California.

Q. What about the information on my hard drive?
A. We recommend that you delete sensitive data from your hard drives, or remove your hard drives before your recycle. For a fee, Hi-Tec Recycling offers the service of destroying any data remaining on your hard drives to render it unrecoverable, with a certificate of destruction. Please call for our rates.

Q. Will you take non-functioning equipment?
A. Yes, we accept non-working as well as working equipment.

Q. What equipment will you accept?
A. We also accept TV's, monitors, computer systems and components, printers, fax machines, copiers, scanners, cables and wiring, batteries, cell phones, house phones, PDA's, digital cameras, laptops, MP3's, audio equipment, video game consoles and games, and other electronic equipment. We do NOT accept light bulbs, non-rechargeable batteries nor mercury switches.

Q. What about large kitchen appliances?
A. WE NOW ACCEPT LARGE APPLIANCES AT EVENTS! Hi-Tec Recycling will also recycle them as well as air conditioning units and dehumidifiers at the drop-off center in Richmond.

Electronic waste poses two core problems: the volume of electronic equipment improperly disposed of in municipal landfills, and the toxicity of the electronics and CRTs as waste products.

* More than 22 million computers are sold each year in the United States. Most of these become obsolete in little more than two years.
* More than 6000 computers become obsolete every day in California! Most of these are stored in back rooms and warehouses because people are unsure of how to properly dispose of them. However, an increasing number are finding their way into the waste stream.
* E-Waste represents from two to five percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream.
* An estimated 300,000 tons of E-Waste went into landfills in the U.S. in 2000 and the problem is expected to grow four-fold in the next few years.
* E-waste contains significant quantities of toxic materials. Each computer or television display monitor contains an average of 4-8 pounds of lead. Monitor glass contains about 20 percent lead by weight.
* About 70 percent of the heavy metals (including mercury and cadmium) found in landfills come from electronic equipment discards. These heavy metals and other hazardous substances found in electronics can contaminate groundwater and pose other environmental and public health risks.
* The State of California Department of Toxic Substance Control has established that it is illegal to dispose of CRTs in landfills. (CRT Emergency Regulation)
* Due to advances in chip technology, the life span of a computer has been reduced from perhaps 4-5 years to approaching 2 years or less.
* Second hand dealers (Thrift shops, Salvation Army, and other not for profit groups) and Waste Haulers or those in the traditional recycling business are unsure about how to handle equipment they are receiving and what disposal options are legally available to them.

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Hi-Tec Recycling • P.O. Box 3 • Woodacre, CA 94973 • PH 800-981-9019 • FX 415-889-6433