The Digital Divide: Millions of Computers are Going to Waste
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot
save the few who are rich.” John F. Kennedy
- Nearly 50 million people across America — including students, the poor, and seniors — do not have fully-usable Internet access, in large measure because they simply do not own a computer.
- At the same time, we landfill millions of legacy computers each year, computers which in many cases either work or can be made to work.
- There ought to be a way to connect those with too many computers to those who have none.
- And now there is.
While there’s no perfect solution to either the electronic waste problem — so-called e-waste — or the absence of universal Internet access, new technology now makes it possible to significantly extend computer lifespans. This new technology means we can substantially reduce landfill and recycling needs. We can now convert large numbers of unwanted computers into working, up-to-date equipment for the millions of people who are unable to quickly and easily access the Internet.
1. E-waste & Legacy Computers
We believe that the best way to deal with landfill-clogging e-waste is to have less of it. The reasons to favor less e-waste are well-known, credible, troublesome, and compelling.
- “Most computers contain hazardous materials like heavy metals that can contaminate the earth and don’t belong in a landfill,” reports the Federal Trade Commission.
- Despite that, in 2018, according to the EPA, the Nation threw out 2.7 million tons of consumer electronics, and recycled a little more than 1 million tons (38.5%).
- Electronic waste is the last thing you want in a landfill. It’s a huge and well-known environmental problem. Scientific American pointed out in 2010 that “70 percent of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills are from discarded electronics — even though the e-waste itself accounts for only two percent of the trash by volume.”
- According to the EPA, computers can contain such chemicals as beryllium, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc.
- The UN estimates that more than 57.5 million tons (52.2 million metric tons) of e-waste were produced worldwide in 2021.
Recycling e-waste often means shipping electronics overseas, a practice that can result in horrendous conditions for local workers — especially children.
The World Health Organization estimates that “more than 18 million children and adolescents, some as young as 5 years of age, are actively engaged in the informal industrial sector, of which waste processing is a sub-sector. Children are often engaged by parents or caregivers in e-waste recycling because their small hands are more dexterous than those of adults.”
2. The Need for Legacy Computers
We believe that wider computer ownership is a social good that will result in less e-waste as well as a better educated, more accomplished, more inclusive, and better-compensated population. To close the techno-gap which now exists between those with legacy computers and those without, we want to distribute laptops, notebooks, and desktop computers to those in need. No less important, it is our hope that recipients can receive such equipment without cost.
- According to the Pew Research Center, “some 15% of U.S. households with school-age children do not have a high-speed internet connection.” Such children, said the Center, “are more likely to face digital hurdles when trying to complete their homework.” And, obviously, to have an equal chance to compete in the workforce.
- There are 122 million households at this writing, according to the Census Bureau. Fifteen percent of this total equals 18.3 million households, each with an average of 2.6 people. This means 48.4 million people do not have high-speed Internet connections.
- Even in households earning $75,000 or more, most have cell phones but 41% do not have the use of a desktop, laptop, or notebook computer, and 8% do not have Internet services at home, according to the General Accountability Office.
3. Helping Supply Meet Demand
“The internet,” says the Brookings Institute, “is no longer ‘nice to have,’ it is critical. Whether working and studying from home or applying for unemployment compensation, the internet has kept activities alive. Seeing friends and visiting the doctor without infecting yourself or others became possible under the lockdown because of high-speed internet connections.”
And yet — in an economy dependent on computers — large numbers of Americans don’t have the very equipment others are sending to landfills. We can fix this.
The re-use of legacy computer equipment is now plausible because of a recent technological development: Google has announced the free distribution of Chrome OS Flex. This new operating system, says Google, will allow many owners of legacy equipment to “refresh your older devices with a modern OS and extend their lifespan to reduce e-waste.”
How much equipment is available for recycling? In 1998 — almost 25 years ago at this writing — The New York Times wrote that “researchers believe that roughly 14 million to 20 million computers are retired each year in this country, and of those, a 1995 Tufts University thesis estimated, nearly 75 percent are simply stockpiled, taking their place on obscure shelves, under Ping-Pong tables, in unused offices, in hallways. Only 10 percent to 15 percent of them will be re-used or recycled, studies indicated, and 15 percent end up in landfills.”
Today, with computers as common as faucets, the volume of available equipment is vastly larger. The World Counts estimates that 300 million computers are produced worldwide. It adds that “we generate around 40 million tons of electronic waste every year, worldwide. That’s like throwing 800 laptops every second.”
With the Chrome OS Flex option, a large volume of legacy equipment can gain new life. Not all equipment, but whatever can be reclaimed means less landfill usage, fewer children picking out parts in distant lands, and more people having Internet access.
4. Chrome OS versus Chrome OS Flex
Chrome OS Flex is not the same as Chrome OS. We recognize that the Chrome OS Flex option has its limitations. But, let’s not forget the goal, to make computers and thus Internet access available to all. This is an opportunity to start.
What makes Chrome OS Flex different from full-blown commercial systems? As The Washington Post explains, “while modern Chromebooks have the ability to download and install Android apps from Google’s Play Store, you can’t do that on an old computer running Chrome OS Flex.”
In addition, says the paper, “there are also some things Chrome OS was never really designed to do, like play music or movies off CDs or DVDs. (Yes, that means the CD or DVD drive that came built into your computer won’t work anymore.) The same is true for fingerprint scanners, face recognition cameras and styluses that your computer may have been meant to work with. Google’s software simply doesn’t know what to do with them.”
Context is important. The idea is to take equipment likely to wind up in a landfill and give it new life. The recipients right now have no ability to interact with all the Internet has to offer. No less important, the system will be upgraded over time, no doubt adding new features and benefits.
5. What you can do
RightWorx.org is a seeding operation. We exist to help groups, organizations, and individuals engage in landfill-free recycling, to help local communities, and to clean-out closets, garages, storage facilities, attics, and wherever else one is keeping their older electronic equipment.
This is not a high-cost effort. No bureaucracy is required. Instead, Google has created free software to address a portion of the e-waste problem and help a lot of people.
We have information and useful links on the RightWorx website. Browse, use what you need, and do what’s best for you. If you can help with feedback and tell us what you did, that’s great. We may share your story with others. If you can link to our site, tell people about us, or post about us on social media outlets, that too helps get the word out.
Here are the first steps to take: