Obsolete computers create difficult end-of-life decisions for their users.

Maybe it's hard to part with the computer because of the memories attached to it, even though it takes what seems like days to start up. Or maybe it's that their owners don't know how to get rid of them.

The National Safety Council estimates nearly 250 million computers have become obsolete in the past five years. With the average life span of computer systems currently only two years, they're becoming outdated even faster.

"We don't want them going in landfills," said Jacq Frost, owner of JEF Computing Inc. on Clark Street in Auburn.

Consumers now have more options for their obsolete computers than throwing them to the curb. Electronics recycling programs are growing in popularity, including one sponsored by Cayuga County Saturday, May 7 in conjunction with its Household Hazardous Waste Day.

This marks the fourth year the county has held an electronics collection. It keeps growing each year, and more than 70,000 pounds of electronic waste have been collected in the first three years, said Kelly Fallone, environmental educator for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.

"People are beginning to catch on," she said.

"E-waste" creates several problems, Fallone said. Obsolete computers tend to be bulkier than newer models. If older electronics are thrown away and go into landfills, they take up a lot of space.

"That's not space we can afford to use," she said.

But the long-term problems are potentially more devastating than lost landfill space.

Certain electronics, especially televisions and computer monitors, contain harmful chemicals that could contaminate soil and drinking water. Cathode ray tubes in TVs and monitors can contain as much as eight pounds of lead.

"Those things don't belong in regular landfills," she said.

To handle those sensitive types of waste, the county contracts with Regional Computer Recycling and Recovery. The electronics collected are shipped to that company's facility in Rochester, where they are dismantled for proper environmental disposal.

Once computers come to the facility, they are weighed and identified to note where they were collected. Monitors, computers and network equipment are grouped together for similar processing.

About 85 to 90 percent of the equipment the company receives is dismantled for scrap, which amounts to about 4 million pounds a year. Hard drives go through a data-wiping process. Once dismantled, the pieces go to traditional scrap processors to handle the mixed grades of metals.

The small percentage of equipment that isn't tossed away is cleaned up and resold. This is more common with computers recycled by businesses, which are more likely to retire electronics quicker than household users, said Mike Whyte, president of RCR&R.

"Sometimes companies turn over equipment faster to stay on the cutting edge," he said.

But often there's little worth saving. Technicians inspect the electronics for certain processors that have resale value. Most of what they resell are monitors, but not many of those are of any worth.

"For every one monitor we can sell, there's 100 more that get scrapped," Whyte said. "What we're working with is a very small window of profitability."

And that profitability just isn't there for other household electronics, such as kitchen appliances or DVD players. The items are light, so they need a large quantity to make any type of metal sale worthwhile.

"That stuff is total scrap," Whyte said.

Reselling used electronics helps offset RCR&R's costs to municipalities and business that use their recycling services.

Some local computer retailers are offering their customers options other than recycling when they upgrade to a new system.

JEF Computing will take customers' old computers for $18 ($8 for just the monitor) and dismantle them for scrap. Frost said the company has to charge its customers because of the expense of dropping off the mangled junk. She hires high school students who get experience taking the systems apart.

"It's gotten quite expensive to get rid of this stuff," she said. "The kids might as well learn the dirt of the business along with the glamour."

Another retailer, ABC Computers in Port Byron, will refurbish old computers if customers are willing to donate them. David Hynes, administrator with ABC, hopes they will be able to work with Port Byron Central School District and donate computers to families of students who can't afford them.

"People are finding out it's easier to recycle than repair," Hynes said. "They've been willing to part with them."

"There's more of a benefit this way. It's not a computer that will launch a space shuttle, but they can't do their homework without it."

Staff writer Liz Hacken can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 26 or elizabeth.hacken@lee.net