Photo Of The Week: Your Old Work Computer Isn't Trash

 

In this April 26, 2005, file photo, piles of used computer gear fill a waste collection lot in Montpelier, Vt. Vermont is one of twenty-five states that have bans on electronic waste in landfills. Vermont's new electronic waste law took effect Jan. 1. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 2007 that the U.S. generates about 2 million tons a year of e-waste, which can contain lead, mercury, cadmium and other potentially harmful chemicals. If those toxins leach from landfills into the environment, risks to human health can include cancer and nervous system damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.