eBay joins tech companies to launch electronics recycling program

Wondering what to do with that old Commodore 64 or Macintosh II gathering dust in your basement? According to an eBay survey, you’re not alone — some 50 percent of American households have unwanted PCs in storage. That’s why the online auction giant has launched an electronics recycling program they call Rethink. In a partnership with environmental groups, postal services, and major tech names including IBM, Intel Corp., Apple Computers, and Hewlett-Packard, eBay will serve as a conduit for sales, donations, or recycling of old electronic equipment. Enviros hope the program will reduce the number of gizmos that find their way to the landfill — currently some 400 million every year — where they can leak harmful toxins like lead and mercury.