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The computer you're using to read this article will one day be nothing more than a pile of garbage, contaminated with heavy metals and toxic plastic.

If you're using a cathode ray tube monitor to display these words, it contains about a kilogram of soluble lead, which causes neurological disorders; hexavalent chromium, the substance of Erin Brokovich fame that causes damage to DNA; and toxic phosphor and barium.

If you have a newer liquid crystal display, it also contains phosphor, as well as mercury, a heavy metal that can damage the brain.

There's lead in the keyboard, toxic flame retardants and antimony in the circuit boards, cadmium in the battery and the chips, all wrapped up in a casing of plastic that will release more deadly substances – furans and dioxins – when it's burned.

None of these substances normally affect people when the computer's in use. It's when it comes time to upgrade and to throw out the old computer that they become a problem.

Environment Canada estimates that computer waste in Canada – totalling more than 67,000 tonnes in 2005 – put 1.1 tonnes of mercury, 4.5 tonnes of cadmium and 3,012 tonnes of lead into landfills in 2005.

And sometimes those landfills aren't in Canada. In 2002, CBC's Marketplace found computers from the Canadian Airlines and Department of National Defence in a landfill in China.

It seems that although Canada signed the Basel Convention forbidding export of toxic waste, Ottawa's position was that the convention didn't apply to computers. (The U.S. signed, but never ratified the convention.)

New tech, old tech

This problem of obsolete technology being thrown away is made worse, of course, by advancing technology and a consumer demand for the newest, shiniest, most powerful things.

Cellphones are especially vulnerable to changing fashion and newer models with more gizmos. In the U.S., it's estimated that every cellphone is replaced with a newer model every 18 months, compared to about three years for computer equipment.

And new flat-panel HDTV sets also present a challenge, as landfills deal with a glut of old TV sets that don't make it to the basement or cottage.

And in three years, that old set won't even cut it for the cottage. Analog TV signals in the U.S. will be shut off for good in February 2009. (Canada is expected to follow suit.) Only digital sets or old TVs upgraded with a signal converting box will pick up the new digital signals.

Once again, the 3 Rs

In deciding what to do with an out-of-date computer, remember the three Rs:

Reduce: Look into getting an upgrade for your computer system, instead of buying a new one. Reconsider getting that new cellphone if your old one is working just fine.

Reuse: It's almost impossible to sell a computer that's more than five years old, but you could give eBay a try. Someone on Freecycle might be willing to take your computer off your hands. Many organizations will accept your old computer as a donation, including:

• Computers for Schools
• ReBoot Canada
• ReSource
• Computer Aid International
• World Computer Exchange

Recycle: Ask the manufacturer if it will take your old computer for recycling and safe disposal. Some, like HP and Lenovo (formerly IBM), are willing to do so for a fee. Or, check if your municipality offers safe computer disposal as part of its hazardous household waste program.

Governments and e-waste

Last month, Ontario's environment minister, Laurel Broten, announced the province will give up on further efforts to recycle tires and motor oil. Instead, the government will concentrate on the recycling and safe disposal of household hazardous waste: paint cans, fluorescent light bulbs – and old electronics.

One of the reasons given to abandon the tire and oil recycling program, three years after it was introduced, was the Ontario government's inability to convince oil companies and tire manufacturers to bear some of its cost.

Given the history in other North American jurisdictions, though, Broten may not have much luck with electronics manufacturers either.

Maine and Washington state have recently passed laws that require proper recycling and disposal of electronic waste, and force manufacturers to pay for such programs.

California's e-waste law, however, charges consumers a fee on every new electronic gadget and uses that money to fund programs to keep old tech from ending up in landfills.

Not surprisingly, manufacturers of consumer electronics prefer the Californian law. Making consumers pay for the disposal of toxic tech, they say, is more fair and makes them more aware of the problem.

The story is different in Europe, where legislators are leading the way in reducing the amount of toxic tech at the source.

In 2003, the European Union adopted a directive on the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) which takes effect July 1, 2006.

The RoHS directive restricts the use of six substances in the manufacture of electronics:

• lead
• mercury
• cadmium
• hexavalent chromium
• two forms of brominated flame retardants

And since Europe accounts for 30 per cent of global electronics sales, manufacturers are adjusting all their operations to comply, such as replacing lead alloy solder with a more expensive alloy of tin, silver and copper.

And this week, the EU approved the text of a directive that will make the recycling of batteries mandatory by 2008. The directive requires stores to collect used batteries from consumers at no cost.

The same directive would also ban batteries with more than a tiny amount of cadmium and mercury, except batteries used in emergency and alarm systems, medical equipment and cordless power tools.

And the electronics industries will pay the cost of complying with the new EU rules.

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