Members of the McCallum Computers club will accept old computers and send them to a nonprofit that will refurbish and distribute them to needy students who don't have computers at home.

Electronics that cannot be refurbished will be recycled by Austin-based Round2 Technologies. The machines will be tested and probably sold as scrap, said Marcus Butler, an account manager at Round2.

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New recycling laws and heightened concerns about the proper disposal of computers, phones and other electronics are generating a wave of consolidation and investment among the thousands of small firms that recover used gadgets.

"There's a problem out there, and we can solve it," Round2 chief executive Ian Bagnall said. "And we can make money doing that. And the side effect is that it's good for the environment."

The emerging breed of electronics recycler leans as much toward money-grubber as tree-hugger. They care about the environment, but their first priority is running a business — one that at times brings them into confrontation with environmental groups.

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