“They live in the closet like ghosts of simpler times. Dead monitors. Obsolete PCs. Fried printers. A lot of junk has collected after 20 years of the PC.” —P.J. Huffstutter, technology writer for the Los Angeles Times

Computers have revolutionized the way that work gets done. Assembly lines have become automated, banks have installed ATMs, and libraries now provide online card catalogs. Although most people living in developed countries take computers for granted and believe that they are beneficial, many analysts point out that there is a downside to computers: They generate waste and pollution.

As most computer owners know, computers become obsolete quickly. Because ever-improving software programs require faster and more powerful hardware to run them, consumers who wish to use the latest applications must purchase new machines. As John Yaukey of the Gannett News Service quips, “Computers . . . are obsolete 18 months after they...