UNESCO to host meeting on recycling obsolete computer equipment

In the search for innovative ways to boost economies and drive development in poor countries, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to host an international conference to consider ways to recycle millions of obsolete computers collecting dust in the stock rooms of global corporations.

Specialists from all over the world - including top executives from Microsoft and Digital Links International - will gather this Friday and Saturday at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to discuss the recycling of millions of units of computer equipment that become obsolete every year, outstripped by rapid progress in information technology, but which could be extremely useful in developing countries.

The goal of this first international meeting - "New Synergies for the Recycling of Information Technology Equipment" - is to learn about existing initiatives in the field and to draw up concrete proposals to include in a global strategy for more efficient use of recycled IT material. While computers, printers, scanners, software and servers come with three-year guarantees, many can become obsolete within a year of purchase, and some even within six months.

Through a survey of 20 global corporations in Europe and the United States, UNESCO has learned that more than one million personal computers will be decommissioned in the next three years. The acquisition cost of these computers was probably more than $1.5 billion, but their residual value is likely to be less than $60 million. The top 100 global companies have an estimated IT stock in excess of 7 million PCs, and the top 1,000 may have more than 30 million.

Although the immediate benefits of integrating computer equipment recycling processes in sustainable development programmes seem obvious, the prospect does raise a number of important questions. The participants are expected to consider whether this equipment can be used in a different social, economic and cultural context, how to finance the transportation of tons of recycled material, how to avoid conflict with local distributors, and how to guarantee that used technology will not add to pollution problems caused by electronic residue.