Complicating the issue is the fact that monitors and motherboards are considered hazardous waste and need special handling. According to analyst Rob Enderele of the Enderele Group, "Many people have no idea how problematic this has become, particularly for CRT monitors, or they would never buy another one. With much of this stuff now considered hazardous waste, it is only going to get worse going forward."

The problem is that computer hardware is made using heavy metals -- including lead, mercury, cadmium -- that can adversely affect human health and the environment. These metals can leach into the water table, for example, if equipment is simply dumped into the local landfill. A single monitor can contain more than eight pounds of lead -- as much as or more than a car battery.

"It's consistently a problem across the continental United States," says Sheila Davis, program director and director of the Clean Computer Campaign for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, a California-based environmental group. "Businesses being able to dispose of or recycle hardware depends on state and local government interpretations of the laws."

The States As Environmental Police
Kory Bostwick, president of PCdisposal.com, says although the federal government, specifically the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), classified the material as hazardous waste, the issue has been "left up to the states to police." Generally, he says states on the both coasts have enacted more stringent computer and electronics disposal regulations while "the central states have been somewhat lax in their requirements."

Thus, recycling regulations and programs vary by state, even by city. California, for example, has clarified its legislation, spelling out exactly what can and cannot be placed in landfills. Computers and televisions are banned. At least 26 other states are reportedly now considering various legislations designed to spell out what's prohibited and stem the problem.

Another issue that can compound the inherent problems is how much waste your business generates. Davis says that if a large company, for example, were to improperly dispose of equipment, the issue could fall under federal Superfund laws. By contrast, she says, small businesses "frequently have a hard time accessing recycling because it's expensive."

Davis says her group is working with companies, including Dell and HP, on statements of responsibility for the used goods as well as recycling pilot programs. "At this point, we're starting to understand what works," she says. The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition has advocated instituting programs where computer manufacturers assume responsibility for their obsolete products.

"Monitors are not cost-effective to recycle," says Davis. "Companies have no incentive to make their products recyclable. In the U.S., the cost is left with the consumer and local government right now and that's not fair."

So if you're a consumer, whether or not you bear the responsibility for properly disposing of monitors and television sets depends on where you live. For example, in 2005, the state of California began levying a $6 to $10 surcharge onto new TVs and monitors to fund recycling programs. The state of Maine, by contrast, is demanding that manufacturers take responsibility for the products that consumers discard.

Hewlett-Packard and Office Depot used to let customers drop off electronics for free recycling. The program ended in September, 2004. Recyclers can't make money because there are few components that can be resold or recycled. A third-party recycling firm might charge around $30 to dispose of an old monitor, for example.

Corporate Recycling Made Complex
If you're an IT professional replacing 50 monitors over the next year, things get really complicated.

It used to be that corporations could find a local school or non-profit group in need of hardware. However, even finding organizations willing to take second-hand equipment is no longer a disposal option. Kory Bostwick says that "some of the corporations have been able to utilize" non-profits and schools "as a dumping ground." Now schools can obtain an entire system for $299 with a rebate, these groups no longer need the headache.

"Charities don't want to be stuck with disposal," says Enderele. When they were accepting used systems, these groups faced more problems with getting the equipment to work than it was worth. The costs associated with refurbishing a used system were often more than they could afford. "In most cases school or non-profits won't accept equipment now unless it's brand new. Monitors in particular," he adds.

In fact, for many companies disposal has become a key point in purchasing contracts. According to Enderele, the language in those contracts tells the winning party "part of your responsibility in giving me new PCs is getting rid of the old ones."

Another option is to turn to one of the growing number of third-party disposal contractors such as Kansas-based PCdisposal.com, which is among the largest computer recycling firms in the United States.

Some companies don't realize the scope of their equipment refurbishing projects. "For a 300-unit refresh, in most cases I'm looking at 600 pieces of equipment " the monitor and PC," says Bostwick. Fees vary widely, he says. A small business, for example, will be charged $22 when his firm takes one or two monitors for recycling. Shipping is extra.

Savvy companies can see some cost-benefit by recovering some of the revenue on resalable equipment, says Bostwick. "One of the biggest problems we see is that companies are holding on to equipment even though they are not using it. We're trying to help corporations understand the sooner they get it to us for remarketing, the better. It's also worse for the environment. We can get into hands of someone who can still use it."

The disposal problem is destined to be compounded domestically in the coming years as consumers make way for new flat-panel televisions. Davis says the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition estimates that more than 163,000 TVs and computers are expected to become obsolete in the United States alone each day. This means 3,500 tons of non-recyclable waste.

"If this is problem is not addressed, it will definitely become exacerbated," says Davis. "Hospitals, small businesses they all depend on computers. It's a common piece of equipment in any work environment now."

While hardware disposal is not in most IT job descriptions, the responsibility for compliance with various state and federal regulations will be increasingly thrust upon IT departments. It will be a good idea for companies to take this into consideration in future when buying new equipment, since it may become nearly as expensive to get rid of the old equipment as it was to buy the new.