CETI - Community Electronics Technology Interface

The trends show that there is an increase in electronic waste. Studies from Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition estimate that 315 million to 600 million desktop and laptop computers in the U.S. will become obsolete over the next 18 months in 2006 and old PCs and TVs make up the fastest-growing portion of the waste stream. According to Biocycle World, about 100 million cellphones were discarded in 2004 and only five-million will be recycled or refurbished. CompuMentor estimates that 13 percent of PCs are recycled for materials and only 2 percent are reused in 2004. The National Safety Council estimates that nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete between 2004 and 2009. All these facts show a dramatic increase in electronic waste. However, not enough is done to ensure the responsible disposal of this equipment, as most of it still ends up in landfills.

Three MBA graduates from Southern Illinois University Carbondale decided to come together in October 2005 to setup a non-profit organization to deal with the growing problem. Furthermore, they see great potential in benefiting the Southern Illinois region by providing refurbished computers to the community in an effort to bridge the technology divide. Hence, Community Electronics Technology Interface (CETI) Inc. was born.