Increased attention to disposal yields unexpected dividends

Computerworld - In many ways, IT is all about what's new. Most companies invest significant dollars each year in planning, acquiring and implementing new technology systems in an effort to improve efficiency, productivity and competitiveness.

But technology management isn't a one-way street. All those systems must eventually find their way out of the organization at the end of their life spans. As the volume of aging IT equipment grows, so too does the problem of responsibly disposing of that equipment.

There are indications that this problem is not being adequately addressed. In October 2005, the Basel Action Network (BAN) released a report, called "The Digital Dump: Exporting Re-Use and Abuse to Africa," that documents the significant environmental problems that occur as a result of the dumping of unwanted technology on Third World countries. The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition estimates that 80% of e-waste nominally sent for recycling by U.S. companies is dumped in developing countries.

This is happening because the economics of computer recycling seemingly favor dumping. It costs less to ship aging technology to a developing country than it does to recycle that equipment responsibly. If not for organizations like BAN, it might even be possible to believe we are actually helping those countries by sending them our unwanted technology.

But the reality is we are creating serious, long-term environmental problems if we allow this practice to continue.

Policy is part of the solution. If your organization doesn't have clear policies on what it considers responsible outcomes for dealing with unwanted technology, it should develop them.

Of course, to be effective, policy must be supported by process. It's one thing to have a zero-export policy; it's another to have processes to ensure that the policy is enforced. The only way to accomplish that is to build measurement and documentation into the process. Do you know how e-waste is being dealt with after it leaves your organization? It is not uncommon for a recycler who agrees not to export technology systems to simply transfer those systems to another recycler with no such policy.

Extending the life of technology is another possible solution to the disposal problem. Reassigning computers within a company can significantly reduce the number entering the waste stream. Consider the experience of a leading home mortgage lender that implemented a program to increase reuse of technology across its organization. In addition to other benefits, the company was able to cut technology disposition costs by 58%.

If the need does not exist internally, there may be external organizations that can effectively use older technology. According to a study by Compumentor, a nonprofit technology assistance organization, up to 40% of nonprofit workers do not have Pentium-level computers. The Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program was created to increase the number of usable PCs available to charities and give new life to computers that may otherwise be destined for recycling or disposal. The program allows authorized commercial and noncommercial refurbishers to load Windows 98 or Windows 2000 on computers being donated to eligible recipients for a nominal administrative fee.