The number of obsolete PCs last year exceeded the number of new PCs shipped. More than 500 million computers will become obsolete by 2007, resulting in 6.32 billion pounds of plastic and 1.58 billion pounds of lead, according to the National Safety Council. With so many machines no longer useful, consumers and businesses must decide how to dispose of old PCs -- not to mention televisions, printers and PDAs. These devices often contain toxic materials like lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium that can pose serious health problems. Although the electronic-waste problem is growing, some manufacturers are assuming responsibility for end-of-life product cycles and offering some incentives to customers who want to recycle their old computers. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,57096,00.html
