With technology moving so quickly in the computer world, many of us are encouraged to upgrade to the 'latest and greatest' computer on a regular basis. A recent study by the United Nations University (UNU) has found that a stunning 1.8 tonnes of raw material is required to manufacture the average desktop PC and 17 inch monitor - 28Kg of chemicals, 240Kg of fossil fuels and 1500Kg of water - about equal to that of a medium-sized car in weight.

It found that the environmental impact of computer production is greatest in the following areas: 

• Significant energy use in the production of computers.
• The possible long-term health effects on workers, their families and neighbours due to chemical exposure and emissions from some stages of production (such as the production of microchips).
• The possible health effects from exposure to hazardous materials contained in computer products, either from computers in landfills or in environmentally-unsafe recycling processes in the developing world.

The study also concludes that extending the operational life of a PC through reuse holds a much greater energy saving potential than recycling. So is there another option other than buying a new PC?

Firstly, you should consider whether you actually NEED a new PC. Unless your computer is more than a couple of years old it should be possible to upgrade a few of the internal components rather than buying an entire new system. This should save you money as well as saving the environment. If you decide your PC needs to be replaced, finding a new home or use for the old PC so it continues to be used may offer energy savings of between five and twenty times those gained by recycling.

What to do with your old PC

The most important thing you should remember if you have an old PC in your cupboard is not to leave it there! The longer the machine is out of use, the less value it will have both in terms of money and usefulness - decide what to do with it quickly! A few suggestions for your next steps are below: 

• Sell it on an online auction site or in classified ads.
• Some manufacturers will take back their own computers for reuse or recycling.
• Donate it to a school, charity or non-profit organisation.
• Use it to experiment with Linux (definitely not for beginners!).
• Give it to the kids - save your new PC from dodgy downloads!
• Turn into an MP3 jukebox - if you have loads of MP3's, you could connect it to your music system to serve you music all day long!
• Use it as file server or photo archive.

Please remember: If you decide to pass your PC onto someone else, to erase the contents of the hard-drive first - you never know what information you might be leaving for someone else!