On 13 Oct 2001, Anders Johansson wrote:
I'm not sure if this is true these days, but there used to be a goldmine outside most major companies, in their garbage dumpsters. You could find completely working computers with minimal work, and some companies even let you rummage through the dumpsters. Perhaps in these days of eco-enlightenment they are recycled, I don't know.
I am aware of only the situation in the United States. It is illegal in all 50 states for _corporations_ to throw out computers, TV, and other major electrical equipment: it must be recycled. Individuals can, however, dispose of electical equipment via the dumpster... except in Massachetts and California which passed laws forbidding it in the last 6 months or so. (Source: PC World Magazine) I am an environmentalist (my math teacher called me a fuckin' "tree hugger"), so recycling is great. IIRC, it is illegal to throw out _any_ electrical equipment in Sweden because of the hazardous effects of poisonous metals in parts. My school's SysAdmin decided to throw out (!) some computer instead of offering them for sale... he threw out 3 computers Pentiums with 64MB of RAM each, a 333Mhz machine with 96MB of RAM, and a 466MHz one. That's ridiculous, because I'm here at home writing this on a 233MMX with 32MB of RAM. -- noodlez: Karol Pietrzak PGP KeyID: 0x3A1446A0