How to: Recycle Your Computer
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.10.06
Computers sure are handy when they are working (TreeHugger would have a tough time making it without them) but once they've chewed their last byte, things can get a little messy. Toxic chemicals, carcinogens and heavy metals are all part of what makes their clocks tick, and improper disposal can bring them all a little too close for human comfort. Computer recycling is nothing new, but getting your old electronics to the great motherboard in the sky can be tricky to do responsibly. For years, developed countries have been exporting tons of electronic waste for inexpensive, labor-intensive recycling and disposal, mostly to China. It's been illegal to import e-waste into China for dirty recycling and dumping since 2000, but smuggling, corruption and China's appetite for scrap keep it coming. An article over at Salon has some good tips to prevent your old electronics from being melted down over a rudimentary stove or being tossed into a landfill.
One of the best ways to get clean recycling is simple: just ask questions. A reputable recycler should be able to tell you where hardware is sent, and if the company exports or uses prison labor. The recycler should also be able to tell you how it handles data destruction; you'll want the recycler or reuse organization to wipe the hard drive for you so any personal information doesn't end up where it doesn't belong. If you are donating your equipment to a reuse organization, ask if equipment is tested before it is passed on for donation and if the company only ships working equipment. Ask who their recipient organizations are. If the answer to any of these questions is, "We don't know," or, "We can't tell you," it may be time to send your equipment elsewhere.
One of the easiest options is to use your computer manufacturer's recycling program, though most major manufacturers charge fees and require you to do the packing and shipping. The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, a good guide to responsible recycling, finds many of the manufacture take-back programs wanting and publishes a report card on the environmental effectiveness of most of them.
The Rethink Program, hosted by eBay has a good computer recycling FAQ section and many useful links to recyclers, as do CompuMentor's Tech Soup site and the EPA's eCycling website. Be aware, though, that the recyclers listed on these sites have not been vetted or approved by these organizations in any way. The Basel Action Network also carries a list of electronics recyclers that have signed their stewardship pledge, under which recyclers agree not to export e-waste or add it to landfill, or use prison labor, and to document where equipment, parts and materials go.
If your machine still functions (and not just as a paperweight), then seeing that it is reused is perhaps the best option. Companies like RetroBox and FreeGeek build computers out of salvaged parts; the latter has a list of like-minded organizations that can be a good starting place for recycling or reusing your machine. For a more complete list of NGOs, government agencies and manufacturers who recycle, check out the article at ::Salon.
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- What Makes a Good Product Service System?
- The Disappearing Male
- Vegan Kosher Halal Alert: Fabric Softeners Are Made From Rendered Animal Fat
- Sustentable '08 Design Festival in Photos
Celebrate Earth Day in New York At The Green Apple Arts and Music Festival
|
GM Responds to SUV Ad Controversy
|
Don't rely on a recycler to wipe your hard drive-- doing it yourself is easy and far more reliable. Use a tool like Darik's Boot and Nuke. You download the CD image, burn a CD, pop it in the drive and let your PC boot up. It will boot from the CD and ask you if you want to wipe the hard drive.
I would be surprised if *any* PC recyclers bother with this-- make sure any critical info is wiped before you hand it over.
For the non-PC-inclined, drilling several holes in the drive platters would have similar (but less complete) results.
I need to find out what my solid waste collection agency does with it's non-reusable e-waste. I like to think it doesn't end up in China and improperly processed.
Boot and Nuke is a good program and I use it before recycling company computers.
When I recycled my companies systems I used a company that processed the E-waste in Illinois called united recycling. They recover usefull chips from systems, recover the steel chassis and then grind up the rest so it can be separated into metals and plastics. Due to the high lead and mercury content they use a special line for monitors to make sure that is recovered as well. We had to pay a fee for this sevice.
Reused, if possible, is the best option for older PC's, which are still in a working condition. Many schools or community centres may be interested in them, worth asking around.
I believe some libraries also look for computers, so it might be a good idea to donate to them as well.
Some of the world's e-waste is actually being dumped in my part of the world, so I'm all for computer recycling. Ought to help clean up our shores a bit.
It's as if TH was reading my mind. I just bought a new computer because my old one is "on it's last bytes."
I work for an Apple reseller, Small Dog Electronics and for the past few years, we've offered recycling of electronics for our customers. As a reseller of computers and their peripherals, we felt that if we didn't work to try to find a solution for all the waste that we helped create, we were just adding to an already worsening problem. I wrote an article about ewaste and how it is everyone's problem - manufacturers and resellers, as well as comsumers and government.
We also have a list of resources available on our recycling web page for our local customers as well as resources for those outside of Vermont.
Email me directly if you have specific questions.
Hi Dad
The US approach to the old pc issue.
love
Trudy
PC recycling
I use a company called CRT Recycling. They take everything for free if you drop it off. Now i am really wondering how they do it without charging a dime....
For all those old computers
try the completely free and
very fast Puppy Linux boot CD
from Australia, fast safe for
internet banking, Ebay etc, has its own firewall, goodbye internet nasties, runs completely in memory - 63 meg download - http://puppyos.com/
recycling never seemed smarter
See also http://refurbishedcomputers.us for a Frappr map of computer refurbishers around the US.
If you're in the PA-MD-DC-VA area, CDM Ecycling will pick up computers from most business es or take drop-offs, usually for free. I've worked with them in the past and would highly recommend it. They also employ a number of disabled workers to assist in the task of disassembly.
In response to Mike's posting, how companies make money: there's always some kind of resale value, be it in the parts, whole computers, or even raw materials. A lot is sold to smaller shops & ebay and a portion is sold overseas where older machines are still somewhat useful.
I use E-Tech Recycling Inc www.etechrecycling.com for all my electronics recycling needs. They are loacted in VA and OR serving Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Oregon and Washington states.
I want create my own Computer Recycling factory, who can help me to start... with good information..? shuffle:
I want create my own Computer Recycling factory, who can help me to start... with good information..? shuffle:
my e-mail: welland@inbox.lv
Personally I like recycled computers because my friend Nick Butera thinks that hes Mr.Beiler. My C34500 Microsoft LE PC has minerals and rocks built into thr mainframe of the used computer. I painted the exterior shell hot pink and sparkly purple for research purposes. Im not gay, not that theres anything wrong with that. By the way my best friend jagpreet bought a used computer with windows 86 for 9$
I donated my computer to be used for HAM radio parts, but I'm not sure what to safely do with my monitor. I live in the Milwaukee area. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
a useful link http://pccicla.blogspot.com/
bye
I build and repair computers. I also recycle computers. All usable parts are saved to REPAIR broken machines or used to BUILD working machines.
This benefits everyone. By using recycled parts, I don't have to charge my customer for the part they needed, only for my time. The outcome is a very low cost machine that works just as well as a new machine.
Most recycled computers only end up costing less than $100 ($90 of that comes from buying a legal licensed copy of win xp - microsoft is kinda picky about that when you're a system builder).
Data protection is a big concern with most recyclers. If the company is good enough to repair a computer, they most likely would be able to retrieve and back up your lost information on that broken computer before the hard drive is wiped clean. Be sure to ask how they plan on wiping the hard drive. Simply formatting a hard drive is not enough (off the shelf programs can recover information that is "deleted.") I personally use VCOM SecurErase. If the hard drive is not usable, then simply throwing it away is not a good idea. The hard drive could be dismantled, if found, and data can still be recovered off the hard drive. To prevent this risk, break out the power drill (not kidding) and drill holes (make sure you are wearing eye protection) being sure you drill through the disks inside. Or for the hunters out there, get out your buck shot shotgun and let 'er rip.
Contact me if you would like to recycle your computer.
I can't believe that Dell's recycling program wasn't mentioned. FInd it at http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/environment/en/recycling_main?c=us&l=en&s=corp.
Dell has established commitments to avoid 100,000 tons of lead between 2004 and 2012 and to eliminate all remaining uses of hazardous brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by 2009 as acceptable alternatives are identified. In addition, Dell has instituted an aggressive recovery program whereby the company offers free recycling of any Dell-branded product, as well as no-charge recycling of any brand of used computer or component, with the purchase of a new Dell computer or printer. Its goal is to recover 275 million pounds of information technology components from customers by 2009.
Oh, and they will plant a tree for you to offset carbon.
I accept TV's Monitors, Computers and pretty much all electronic waste, working or not FREE OF CHARGE at my office located at 73 South Buchanan Cir. Pacheco CA 94553. Visit www.DumpMyTV.com for more information. All electronics I collect are recycled here in California.
this is a wonder full website
Please recycle all electronics. For example recycle cell phones with a free shipping service at RecyclePhones.org Learn to wipe out your data on phones and pc's but please don't just throw them in our landfills!
If a corporation or enterprise is looking for a recycling program or asset recovery company for their surplus or excess computers, monitors, laptops, servers and any other networking equipment; a good company is Applied Quality Test inc. Out of San Jose, California. http://www.selltestequipment.com and Golden Surplus http://www.goldensurplus.com a California asset recovery used computer etwork Cisco equipment liquidator.
Question?
Tires were once a problem in land fills etc.
then shredded and compacted for other uses
if the toxic parts were removed from computers why couldnt they be compacted and used for building materials blocks for houses etc.
I am sure someone can let me know
No software can guarantee 100% security. Data Recovery or Disaster Recovery programs may be able to recover some or all of overwritten & "wiped" data. Physical Destruction of drives is the only sure method. We melt them.
Our email is: info@ destruc.com
A simple straightfoward answer would have been better....
Here in libreville a lot of poeple are computer illitrate and think that computer is only for the very wealthy, and when ever you start to talk about computer a lot of boys and girls get intrested so much, I think its because they feel that they have been left behind technologicaly speaking, meanwhile in the USA and Europe poeple are thinking of throwing their old PCs away AND DO NOT ACTUALLY know how or even what to do about it. So I think the digital divide can better be briged by giving to poor poeple those computers instead of throwing them away. 100$ laptops will not do any thing because 100$ is almost 50000 CFA which is a months wage for many workers here. If you feel like giving contact me my email is iksogb@yahoo.com
I recycled my computers with eCycling St. Croix Valley in Hudson, Wisconsin. They were really convenient and are open 6 days a week. Their website is www.ecyclingscv.com
Great to see Free Geek listed here. I am part of the Chicago Free Geek which has been running for three years this month. The great thing about Free Geek is that your old equipment if possible will be reused.
http://eads.blip.tv/file/1147809/
Computer recycling is really a great way of recycling. I'm researching on electronics recycling since a long tim and found this post very significant to my research. I want to pay my thanks to the author for this useful post.
My company just donated four computers to a school for the blind. Those four computers, old for a big company, were still a big upgrade for the school. It let the kids use new, better software and the old computers were running out of space. Even simple things, like ports in the fronts of newer machine, were a blessing for these kids.
Even small donations can make a big difference.
This is a great article! The company I work for, Supply Brothers, is very big on selling recycled products.
I watched a show sometime back and for the life of me I can't remember the name of the show...it was on Planet Green, I believe. They talked about a recycling company in TX that actually RECYCLED almost all parts of computers and other electronics--they had sophisticated machines taking apart every minute bit for resale. I thought this was fantastic, as I usually hear of companies that take what they want from a computer and "safely dispose" of the rest, which doesn't alleviate the landfill problem. I am wondering if anyone knows the name of this company. I've tried to do searches to no avail! HELP!