‘Unfortunately, I don’t think this is a unique story’
As electronics constantly improve, we have become accustomed to the idea that our devices become obsolete every two years.
But Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10 has shed light on the problem, as large volumes of computers suddenly become unusable for businesses and apparently government agencies.
A Reddit thread illustrated the problem with a photo of computer towers that were discarded because they only ran Windows 10 and could not be upgraded.
What’s going on?
The original poster shared: Photograph They expressed the problem in their articles.
“Due to the discontinuation of Windows 10, all of these computers are being disposed of,” they said. “This is one of 3 palettes.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
The photo shows a large shipping pallet full of computer towers. There are so many of them that it is not possible to give an exact number, but there appear to be at least 30, possibly 40 or more.
If there are three similar-sized pallets, it seems safe to estimate that at least 100 computers were discarded.
One comment chainThe original poster stated that they were law students working at a government institution, which prevented them from taking any computer equipment home.
“Even the smallest accusation could cause me to never be admitted to the bar,” they said.
“It’s not worth the risk whatsoever.”
However, in other cases, employees have been known to take home computers thrown away by their employers.
Why is discarded computer hardware a concern?
All of this equipment was likely purchased with tax money, so throwing it away is a waste of federal or state funding.
This is also a waste of all the materials used in the manufacture of computers, most of which are valuable to be salvaged and turned into new electronic devices.
Meanwhile, e-waste like this is a big problem for the Earth. Plastic, like computer cases, is bad enough on its own, eventually shedding microplastics. But when combined with other materials used in computers, some of which are toxic and can leach into soil and water from landfills, it is a real source of pollution.
Is Microsoft doing anything about this?
Microsoft has taken some small steps to slightly slow down the retirement of Windows 10 PCs, such as continuing to provide security updates for a while longer.
But this only reveals the problem; It doesn’t reduce the total number of machines that need to be thrown away because they can’t be upgraded to Windows 11.
What can I do with old electronic items?
If you have a PC or laptop that you can’t upgrade to the new version of Windows, don’t throw it away.
you probably can get money Do this with the right programs, because even if you can’t use it, the computer or its parts may be useful to someone else. It can also be recycled into new computer equipment.
Too many electronic items end up in landfills. According to United Nations 2024 Global E-waste Monitor68 million tonnes of e-waste was created in 2022, and less than a quarter was documented as being properly collected and recycled.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think this is a unique story,” one Reddit user wrote. commented.
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