5 Environmental Reasons for Repairing Your PC Rather Than Buying a New One

There are more reasons than just the cost when thinking about whether to repair or ditch your PC. 

Our computers contain thousands of different components, and some of them are not so good for the environment. The big issues occur in making the computer initially, and then again when disposing of it. Here are five environmental reasons for repairing your PC rather than buying a new one.
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1. Though using your computer and not printing things on paper can help to reduce damage to the environment, it takes a whole lot of energy to produce a PC in the first place.
2. Mining for rare earth minerals causes untold damage to the land and to the wildlife, plant-life and people who lived on it before mining.
3. Several rare metals are used in making the small components in your PC. Some, like hafnium, are so rare, they are running out.
4. The plastics in your computer take many, many years to degrade if they end in landfill, as do the metal cases.
5. Monitors contain mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and beryllium and there are rules about how they can be disposed of because of the toxic levels of these elements in them. If they go to landfill they could pollute the land for years to come.

Keeping your PC clean, free of dust and turning it off at night will all help to reduce the amount of energy it uses too. Once your computer has come to the end of its life, try to ensure it is disposed of correctly – ask at your Civic Amenity Site if you are not sure or your local council’s website.
 
‘5 Environmental Reasons for Repairing Your PC Rather Than Buying a New One’ - written for File Genie by Freelance Writer Ruth Raymer @WritingWalking

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