When Maui began its CompuSwap computer recycling program four years ago, enough old equipment was gathered in one day to fill up a quarter of a shipping container. This year the CompuSwap collection mushroomed to more than 70 tons — enough to fill four large containers.

"We were swamped," recalled Marty McMahan, administrative officer for Maui's Community Work Day program. "It's been building almost out of control."

Maui's experience illustrates a growing — and disturbing — trend that Hawai'i, the United States and the world are going to have to come to grips with: What to do with the growing mounds of computer equipment being replaced at an increasing rate.

A more pressing problem may be what to do with the hazardous metals that exist in most forms of electronic waste: computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, fax machines. No one is keeping track of how much of this "e-waste" ends up in Hawai'i's landfills.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that consumer electronics make up only 1 percent to 4 percent of the municipal solid-waste stream, but they may be responsible for 40 percent of the lead found in landfills.

While California, Maine and Maryland are leading the way in collecting and recycling e-waste and two dozen other states are considering legislation to keep it out of landfills — where it takes up space and may leach hazardous chemicals — Hawai'i doesn't have any laws addressing the problem.

State Sen. Will Espero, D-20th ('Ewa Beach, Waipahu), said he is baffled by the lack of concern. He has introduced legislation in recent years requiring the state Department of Health to examine the issue. "Electronic waste is going to be a problem, and the landfill problem is not going to go away," he said.

Espero co-introduced another bill this year to establish a task force to determine whether e-waste disposal in landfills should be banned and to evaluate strategies for safe disposal. Under the bill, the task force would have prepared a statewide plan for managing e-waste. But the proposal found the bottom of the wastebasket in committee.

Most people seem to have them gathering dust in a corner at home or the office: old computer systems, TVs, stereos and such. For many, it's difficult to toss a computer system or electronic device that is still functional. Yet rapid advances in both software and hardware are making most systems outdated after only a couple of years.

"The good thing about electronics is people are willing to store them in their homes until a good disposal option comes around," said Allison Fraley, Kaua'i County recycling coordinator. "The bad news is that it's the fastest-growing waste component. People are always looking to upgrade, so there is a lot to recycle."

The Waikiki Sheraton replaces its computers every three years or so and is now preparing 75 old models to donate to a school or nonprofit organization. Bright Light Marketing Group in Ho-nolulu, with a dozen employees, has one old computer sitting under a desk and two more that will soon need replacing.

"We were thinking about donating, but I haven't gotten around to it yet," said Lori Makiya, director of operations with Bright Light Marketing.

No one knows how many old computers and TVs are stockpiled in offices, garages and homes in Hawai'i. In California, there are nearly 3 million old TVs and 3.2 million computer screens stored in homes, according to the California Integrated Waste Management state agency.

The National Safety Council projects that nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years.

What's worse, this relatively new kind of waste contains a variety of potentially dangerous toxic metals. For example, each cathode ray tube — the CRT in TVs and computer monitors — contains four to seven pounds of lead.

There has been little research on the topic, but there's a real fear the lead will find its way into groundwater and eventually into drinking supplies. Lead exposure has been linked with learning disabilities, behavioral problems and at very high levels, seizures, coma and even death.

In addition, the plastic material used to house electronic components often contains brominated flame-retardants. If improperly handled, these toxins could be released into the environment.

California has declared CRTs hazardous waste and banned them from landfills. The Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, signed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last year, calls for collection of an electronic waste recycling fee at point of purchase.

Hawai'i, meanwhile, has only recently started getting serious about computer recycling. Each county has developed free collection days, usually twice yearly, when old computers are collected. An effort is made to salvage the systems for use by schools and nonprofit organizations, but most of it is packed up and shipped to recyclers in California and elsewhere.

Several companies across the state offer computer recycling for a fee, depending on market availability, and several groups are working to get used computers to schools.

Ken Goldstein runs Hawai'i Computers for Kids, a program of the Honolulu Metropolitan Rotary Club. Hawai'i Computers for Kids helps coordinate O'ahu's twice-yearly Computer Drop-Off event with CompUSA, which is sponsored by the City and County of Honolulu.

Goldstein recalled how a fellow Rotarian volunteered during May's drop-off event and was astonished at the amount of computers.

" 'I can't believe this,' he said. There was an acre of computers 5 feet high, and the cars kept coming and coming," he said.

When Hawai'i Computers for Kids started in 1992, Goldstein was receiving two or three computers a week. Now, the program tries to find new homes for 5,000 to 8,000 computers a year. Businesses call him about their old equipment, and he tries to match them up with schools or nonprofits.

But as hard as Goldstein tries to make a connection, only about a third of the donated computers are claimed. The rest go to a recycler, such as Lenox Metals in Kapolei, or, more often than not, into the trash bin.

It is estimated that 300,000 tons of e-waste ends up in landfills in the United States annually, and a fourfold increase is expected in just the next few years, said Sarah Diefendorf, executive director of the Environmental Finance Center at California State University, East Bay.

Diefendorf, who presented e-waste workshops for Hawai'i government officials last year, said it is a serious hazardous waste issue that should not be ignored in the Islands, where land space is limited and the environment is fragile.

"It's stunning there isn't a greater effort at recycling (in Hawai'i)," she said. "San Francisco has cut its waste stream in half."

Steven Chang, chief of the state's Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch, acknowledged e-waste is a growing problem here. But in Hawai'i, he said, the challenges are much greater because of limited recycling options and the high cost of shipping.

He said the state is monitoring the debate nationally, which includes what responsibility manufacturers have for proper disposal of their products.

"It comes down to an issue of cost," Chang said. "It's a major issue, but there are a lot of questions and no simple solutions at this point in time."