As in all other parts of life one has to prioritize time and resource
expenses.  In other words, it's the same reason I buy paper for my
printer instead of mushing down the old stuff, bleaching it, flattening
and drying it for my own use.  It's simply not worth the time and money
to reclaim some products when a solution is known, and acceptably safe.
(not to mention it'll gunk up my printer :-)  )

The problem is where do we draw the line?  It would be better if we
didn't use PCBs since it takes quite a toll on the environment to
produce them.  Etching them is only a portion of the larger problem, if
you must look at it as a problem.  We can even go further back down the
line of reasoning and simply accept that, like our forbearers we do not
know the consequences of some of the processes we are involved in now.
Some groups advocate putting technical advances on hold until we know
exactly what the consequences are, but will we ever really know the
/full/ consequences?  And if we did, could we actually consider
/anything/ safe?  Because at that point we're back to drawing a line
between acceptable damage and unacceptable.

So I do what I see as 'reasonable.'  When I have paint, oil, or
chemicals to dispose of, I contact those who have the responsability to
make those decisions and I follow their directions.

Although, for the record, I do not etch my own boards.  The most
hazardous waste I dispose of, aside from paint and car oil, is dirty
diapers.  Since we use cloth most of the time then I also use the
recommended method of responsibly disposing of the contents.  :-)

-Adam

Edward Gisske wrote:

>So, why not deal with the waste in a responsible manner and not just flush
>it or pitch it?
>
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