Digital Life Cycles at MITA look at the Environmental Impacts of Computers and solutions at MIT
Aaron BealsVibhav RangarajanSanjay K. RaoEnvironment and SocietyMassachusetts Institute of Technology12/6/2001
Agenda
I. Computer Composition and Waste
II. MIT Student Computer Use Patterns
III. MIT Athena and Department Computers
IV. MIT Recycling Initiatives
V. New Environmental Solutions to Close Life Cycle Loops
_
_
ComputerCreation
Life Cycle of Computers
Environmental Impacts of Computers
Integral Part of Economic Success Proliferation of Computers
50% of Households have at least 1 Computer More and More Pervasive
Shortening Life Cycles Resource and Chemical Intense Manufacturing
Process like few other Products. Hidden Waste Liabilities
Storage of Computers v. Disposal
Semiconductors Manufacturing is Resource Intensive
Manufacturing an Intel 6” Wafer Inputs:
3,200 cubic feet of gases (Nitrogen, Argon, Ammonium)
22 cubic feet are Hazardous Gases
2,275 Gallons of WaterOutputs:
25 Pounds of Hydroxide 7 Pounds of Hazardous
Waste 2840 gallons of Waste
Water
Source: Semiconductor International Magazine, 1997
Hazards of Computer Waste
Lead 4-8 lbs/computer (CRT) 5% recycling efficiency 1.2 billion lbs by 2004
Plastics Around 22% of Computer 20% Recyclability
Mercury Small amount 0% recycling efficiency 400,000 lbs by 2004
Source: Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC). 1996.Electronics Industry Environmental Roadmap. Austin, TX: MCC.
Computer Numbers Increasing
In 1998: 20 million obsolete PCs (U.S.)
Recycling Rate: 11% 18 million PCs of
PotentialWaste.
By 2000: 75,000 tons of Computer Waste (MA)
Sources: http://www.informinc.org/cwp2fscomputer.htm and http://www1.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/04/03/disposal.ban.idg/index.html
Photo courtesy of Recycling Council of Ontario
Looking Ahead
By 2004: 315 million obsolete PCs (US)
By 2007: 500 million obsolete PCs (US)
MA Computer-Waste: By 2000: 75,000
tons By 2005: 300,000
tons Hidden Computer Waste
75 % of Computers are Saved
Hidden Liabilities
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
YearO
bsol
ete
Com
pute
rs (M
illio
ns)
Sources: http://www.informinc.org/cwp2fscomputer.htm,http://www1.cnn.com/2000/fyi/news/12/11/computer.recycling/
Agenda
I. Computer Composition and Waste
II. MIT Student Computer Use Patterns
III. MIT Athena and Department Computers
IV. MIT Recycling Initiatives
V. New Environmental Solutions to Close Life Cycle Loops
Computer Use
_
ComputerCreation
Do you Leave Your Computer On Even When You are Not Using It?
Yes
No
Sometimes
79% Leave Computer On17% Turn Computer Off
Problem: Energy Use
Would you be willing to stop using your computer or delay purchasing a computer and use Athena and a free PDA-like Device provided by MIT?
01020304050607080
Percent
Yes No
Action
Use of Alternatives
Some People Willing to Try Alternatives
What do you plan to do with your computer when it becomes obsolete?
End of Computer Life
0
10
20
30
40
50
Dispose Save It Recycle Other
Action
Perc
en
t o
f
Resp
on
den
ts
Information Systems Survey
Student Computers: Survey Conducted (Spring 2000)
http://web.mit.edu/acs/survey2000-results.html: 92% of said they owned a computer and 22% said they
owned 2 or more computers 88% use an IBM-PC clone 80% have desktop machines 52% of students with computers own printers as well. 56% buy computers from manufacturers and local retail. The most common uses for computers by students are:
Reading and sending email, Homework assignments, and surfing the web.
Approximate Lifetime of computer is 4 years.
Agenda
I. Computer Composition and Waste
II. MIT Student Computer Use Patterns
III. MIT Athena and Department Computers
IV. MIT Recycling Initiatives
V. New Environmental Solutions to Close Life Cycle Loops
Computer Use
_
ComputerCreation
Departmental/Faculty Computers at MIT
Estimated ratio of computers to faculty and administrative staff is 1.5:1
Types of Hardware Mostly Intel chips Research facilities use workstations are mostly Sun chips
NECX (http://web.mit.edu/ecat/necx/) Approx. 50% of departmental computer purchases
Others from manufacturer directly or through reseller.
Departmental/Faculty Computers at MIT
650 Dell and Apple computers purchased and deployed last year.
800 estimated for this year. Common Uses:
Staff/Administrative Personnel: financial and administrative tasks, communications,
web, email, word processing Faculty/Researchers:
Simulations, processor intensive applications Lifetime
3 to 4 years Improved processor speeds allow 4 year cycles in future
Athena Computers at MIT
422 Athena workstations in clusters About that many departmental Athena
machines Currently deployed machines:
Sun SunBlade 100 512 MB RAM 500 MHz processor 19 inch Sun monitor
Dell Optiplex GX 150 512 MB RAM 1 GHz Pentium III processor 19 inch Sony Trinitron monitor
Athena Computers at MIT
Purchasing Bought in bulk from manufacturer Some individual purchases None come from donations.
Lifetime Most machines are replaced every 4 years Some Dell machines are on 3 year cycle.
Source: Joanne Straggas and Oliver Thomas MIT Information Systems
What Is to Blame?
Moore’s Law Consumer Attitudes Inadequate Education About Options
Moore’s Law
Processors double in speed: 18 months Puts pressure on engineers Computer power outpacing customer
need
Consumer Attitudes
Consumer needs: word processing, web surfing, e-mail
Computing power of PC underutilized Must have the newest, fastest, best Willing to pay $1500 / 18months
Inadequate Education
Consumers, companies, institutions not informed about their options!
1.1. RecycleRecycle
2.2. DonateDonate
3.3. ReuseReuse
What’s Being Done Now?
Reuse Email list Give away unwanted machines to other students
Disposal Old Athena workstations and monitors are picked
up a by a disposal company – required by Mass. State law.
Not much recycling of machines occurs
What’s Being Done Now? Donations
A group donates used laptops to families in third world countries so they can communicate with their children/relatives at MIT
Jerry Burke works with Cambridge School Science Departments gets used computers, restores them, and donates them to
Cambridge schools (if not useful at school, donates to Church) Informal network at MIT – from MIT departments, faculty/staff
home computers, graduating students who no longer want their machines.
Paperwork is a pain (need to get machine decommissioned by MIT Property Office) – people are willing if he takes care of paperwork.
Source: Jerry Burke
Agenda
I. Computer Composition and Waste
II. MIT Student Computer Use Patterns
III. MIT Athena and Department Computers
IV. MIT Recycling Initiatives
V. New Environmental Solutions to Close Life Cycle Loops
Computer Use
Computer Recycled
ComputerCreation
Our Solution
The Central Office (C.O.) In charge of computing at MIT Controls all flows in / out Maintains inventory database Controls internal flows
C.O. Duties
Purchases (Green computing – NECX) Student Departmental
Inventory C.O. Purchased machines Student-owned machines (done already) Simplifies paperwork
C.O. : Student Purchases
Subsidize student purchases Recycle old campus machines “Obsolete” computers are fine for email,
etc. Promote purchases from “green”
companies Environmentally friendly Canon, Toshiba, IBM See SVTC list
C.O. : Power-Saving
Purchase Energy-Star compliant machines
Ensure power-down of unnecessary devices
CRT timeouts Issues raised by IS Our solution: 10-minute timeout
C.O. : Distributed Computing
MIT computing resources underutilized Distributed computing saves money Old machines still useful! Current examples:
SETI@Home distributed.net United Devices
C.O. : End-of-Life
Reuse Current Method: reuse@mit Proposed Method: reuse@mit web page Departmental reuse
Coordinated by C.O. “Obsolete” machines revalued
C.O. : End-of-Life
Donation Charity Organizations, Schools,
Libraries, Overseas Programs In Massachusetts:
Cambridge Computer Donation Program East-West Education Development
Foundation Mindshare Collaborative TecsChange Virtually Wired Educational Foundation
MIT Impacts the World
Lack of Environmentally-aware classes (Course 6, especially)
MIT needs green-design classes PCB Parts Modular computing
Change can start here!
Summary
Computer waste is a manageable problem Student level Institute level
MIT’s current system inadequate Our Proposal
E-mail to MCC, IS, SIPB, Property Office Posted on web page
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