Dell To Offer Free Recycling For Its Computer Products

Dell to offer free recycling for products

By MATT SLAGLE
AP TECHNOLOGY WRITER

DALLAS -- Consumers wanting to ditch old printers, personal computers or other electronics gear made by Dell Inc. will soon be able to recycle them for free, chairman Michael Dell announced Wednesday.

"We don't think the consumer should have to pay for the responsible retirement of used computer equipment," Dell said.

The new recycling policy, already available in Europe, is slated to launch in the United States by September and the rest of the world by November.

Industrywide, companies have begun adopting more affordable recycling policies to prevent cadmium, mercury and lead and other hazardous materials contained in many electronics from ending up in landfills as so-called "e-waste."

This month, Apple Computer Inc. expanded its computer recycling program for U.S. customers. Those who buy a new Mac through the Apple store online or any Apple retail store will receive free shipping and recycling of their old machines.

Dell's main rival, Hewlett-Packard Co., meanwhile, said Tuesday it was expanding its product recycling program with a series of summer collection drives.

The drives, running between June and September in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and Oregon, will let consumers drop off a range of electronic devices for recycling free of charge, the company said.
Under Dell's previous policy, available since 2004, consumers could only get free recycling of any brand of computer or printer if they bought a new Dell system. For those not buying a new system or who don't have Dell equipment, the Round Rock, Texas, company would take back used electronics for $10 per box, as long as it weighs less than 50 pounds.

Under the new system, consumers wishing to recycle their old Dell gear for free must go online, enter the product's serial code at Dell's Web site, pack the item, and then schedule a pickup time.

The items are then sent to one of Dell's U.S.-based recycling centers to be reused or broken down into components.

"Dell is setting the standard for the industry with this new policy," said Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition, who joined Dell in making the announcement during a conference call with reporters.

It's the responsibility of consumers to erase any personal data beforehand, said Tod Arbogast, senior manager of Dell Sustainable Business.

A Range of Estimates on the Benefits

Wall Street Journal
June 24, 2006
By Alexei Barrionuevo

Would using ethanol save energy?

That question, it turns out, is not easy to answer. Ethanol's enthusiasts point to the potential benefits of replacing gasoline with a renewable energy source that they contend will reduce America's reliance on foreign oil and cut greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuels. But the benefits of ethanol, particularly when it is produced from corn, are not so clear cut.

A number of researchers who have looked at the issue have concluded that more energy now goes into making a gallon of ethanol than is contained in that gallon. Others, however, find a net benefit, though most see it as relatively modest.

Those who question whether ethanol is as "green" as advertised say that supporters ignore or downplay the large quantities of natural gas used to produce ethanol, as well as the diesel fuel used to transport it from plants to markets. Moreover, growing corn requires heavy use of nitrogen fertilizers, made from natural gas, and requires extensive use of farm machinery, which burns fuel refined from crude oil.

Given the complexities of the calculations, there is a wide range of estimates of the benefits of ethanol.

On the positive side, analysts at the Agriculture Department concluded in their most recent assessment that ethanol offered a substantial gain, producing a positive output 67 percent greater than the energy inputs. But others who view ethanol favorably are more conservative, with several estimating the net energy benefit at about 20 percent.

David Pimentel, a professor of agriculture and life sciences at Cornell University, is one of several researchers who has challenged the Agriculture Department's conclusion. He has estimated that ethanol requires 29 percent more energy from fossil fuels than it delivers in savings from not using gasoline.

Dr. Pimentel, along with Tadeusz W. Patzek, a civil and environmental engineer from the University of California at Berkeley, published research finding that the Agriculture Department's analysis excluded the energy required to produce or repair farm machinery, as well as the steel and cement used to build the plants.

The Agriculture Department counters by noting that the professors failed to consider the energy benefit of certain ethanol byproducts, including corn oil and corn gluten, and said they were using old farm machinery data.

"They put all the energy on the ethanol," said Roger Conway, director of the department's office of energy policy and new uses.

The Agriculture Department also points to increases in corn yields, and efficiency improvements in the fertilizer and ethanol industries, which add to ethanol's energy benefit.

Dr. Pimentel acknowledged the omissions of some byproducts, saying they might have boosted the energy balance to as much as break even. But he said that even a best-case scenario, using his calculations, did not justify a heavy investment in ethanol. He called the push into ethanol a "boondoggle" motivated by farm-state politics and big profits.

Dr. Pimentel, who first began criticizing ethanol as an energy alternative about 25 years ago, said that he has never been supported by the oil industry. Dr. Patzek has worked as a researcher for an oil company in the past but said that his biofuels research had received no support from the industry.

Several environmental groups that support ethanol concede that the energy savings from corn-based ethanol may be limited, but they say it will serve as a crucial bridge to more efficient sources like switchgrass, a type of prairie grass that could potentially be used to produce ethanol.

The choice of what fuel to use to run an ethanol plant will also play a role in determining its ultimate energy efficiency. In Hereford, Tex., White Energy expects to use natural gas to power its ethanol plant, while another Dallas-based company, Panda Energy International, plans to use Hereford's ample supplies of cow manure as fuel.

Driven by the high cost of natural gas, about 10 of 39 ethanol plants under construction are being designed to run on coal, according to Robert McIlvaine, who runs a market research firm in Northfield, Ill.

Mr. Conway of the Agriculture Department called the move to cheaper and more abundant coal to run ethanol plants "preferable."

But Nathanael Greene, senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has supported ethanol's use, disagreed, pointing out that burning coal normally produces twice as much greenhouse gas as natural gas.

"This is going to significantly increase the local air pollution," Mr. Greene said, "and diminish the benefits of using ethanol."

How To Make Your Own Rain Barrel

The City Of Winter Garden promotes water conservation by use of rain barrels. You can put yours together for about $30.00.

Tips for using your rain barrel:
- Do not use collected water for drinking, cooking or bathing.
- Keep the lid secure so children or animals cannot fall into the barrel.
- Disconnect the barrel during the winter to avoid constant overflow during the rainiest months. Attach it in the early spring to fill it for use.
- Most recycled barrels need to be cleaned before first use.
- If a moss killer has been used on the roof let a couple of rainfall events go by before collecting the roof runoff.
- Elevate your rain barrel slightly to make access to the spigot easier.
- The screened louver vent will prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your barrel.
- Consider joining multiple barrels for additional capacity!

Step 1
- Use a hole saw, a saber saw, a keyhole saw or a drywall saw to cut a hole on the top of your barrel.
- Drill two holes with a 15/16” drill bit, one towards the top for an overflow and one towards the bottom of the barrel for the faucet.
- Rinse your barrel out thoroughly, as it previously had a food product in it.

Step 2
- Twist threaded side of the plastic hose bib adapter into into the 15/16" threaded hole towards the top of the barrel.
- Prepare the threaded side of hose bib:
Wrapping it tightly with teflon tape, make four or five rotations until all the threads are covered; or
Applying a thin ribbon of All Purpose Adhesive Caulk, PVC glue or similar sealant.
- Twist in the threaded and now prepared end of the faucet into the 15/16" threaded hole towards the bottom of the barrel.

Step 3
- Cover the hole in the top by placing the louvered screen onto the barrel with the louvered side up and the screen side down.
- Slide a hose onto the hose adapter at the top of barrel to direct the overflow water away from your home.
- Place two cinder blocks under the selected downspout and place the barrel on this raised base.
- Cut your downspout about 4" above the top of the barrel, add an elbow, and make any final adjustments to the base and barrel.
- Add a hose on the faucet or keep it available to fill a watering can.
- Secure your rain barrel to the house with aluminum banding and crews
- Enjoy your rainbarrel!

What you'll need:
- Drill
- Hole Saw (a saber saw, a keyhole saw, or a drywall saw will also work)
- 15/16" Drill Bit
- 3/4" Plastic Hose Bib
- Louvered Screen
- Teflon Tape or All Purpose Caulk

Top 10 Ways To Save Oil And Gas Use

Here are my 10 ways to better use your oil and gas allotment yearly:

1. Keep your car(s) serviced ie correct amount of air in tires, oil
change, coolant change, spark plug/fuel injector checks, exhaust checks
often--at least quarterly.

2. Read the vehicle owner's manual regards the "Essentials of Good Fuel
Economy". This will offer tips on how to drive to come closest to the
projected mpg the auto manufacturer estimates.

3. If you have 2 vehicles and need a large vehicle to transport kids or
items for your business, why not get a smaller 4 cylinder vehicle for
your trips requiring less vehicle space as your 2nd car.

4. Consider walking or biking if your trip is less than 2 miles and the
weather appears favorable for the trip. You will save gas and help your
body.

5. For trips over 2 miles in towns where bus and train service are
ubiquitous, please take this alternate form of transport when you can.

6. Carpooling is certainly an option for those working in one locale
together for a large part of the day or parents taking kids to the same
school.

7. Spread the word. Say you are a more conserving type of person but your
best friend or family member is not. You may just ask them if they have
ever thought of how their apparent over use of oil and gas products may be
ultimately reducing the amount of available product for us all.

8. Contact your legislative representatives, both local and national, on
occasion and let them know that laws favoring alternate means of transport
are what we all need.

9. Drive in the correct gear. Incorrect gear shifting can lead to as much
as 20% increase in fuel consumption. Also idling is a gas guzzler--many
times it is best to turn the car off if idling for more than a few
minutes. If not in the middle of winter, warming a car up is a waste of
fuel.

10. Strongly consider a hybrid vehicle as a secondary(or primary) vehicle.
Go test drive a hybrid and see what you think. There is currently some tax
relief for these models. They are also available in the pre-owned car
market.

Click Here For New Movie: Who Killed The Electric Car?

Happy Early Summer '06 from Florida and thanks for reading,
Porter
General Manager