The problem, according to the 62-page report titled "Electronic Waste: Strengthening the Role of the Federal Government in Encouraging Recycling and Reuse", is that consumers and businesses in most states have to pay fees of up to US$30 or $40 each to properly recycle old computer equipment because there are not enough precious metals and other valuable materials to make recycling economically viable.

But proper recycling is needed because the electronic gear often contains hazardous materials such as lead, cadmium and mercury, which if thrown away in normal municipal trash can eventually leach into local groundwater supplies. Often, old machines are not thrown away but are stored in warehouses, basements and attics, putting disposal off until the future, the report said.

Another problem is that the high recycling fees cause some companies to export their obsolete electronics to countries with weaker or nonexisting environmental laws, making pollution from hazardous materials a problem in those countries.

Efforts to recycle electronics are going on in some states, including California, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington, but without consistent national programs, recycling is difficult to establish across the country, the report says. Meanwhile, some federal programs, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 's (EPA) Federal Electronics Challenge, which encourages electronics recycling and reuse among government agencies, are not completely effective because they are optional and not mandatory, the report states.

Some 100 million computers, monitors and televisions become obsolete annually and are a huge problem for local governments, said the GAO, which is the investigative arm of Congress.