How to Recycle Your old Computer
My wife and I were riding our bikes around the local farmland the other day. We noticed that someone had tossed out their old computer on the side of the road. We were not the only one who noticed. A local model plane enthusiast also noticed the trash. As we were discussing the lack of thought that goes into such an act, he decided to take the PC to a friend of his to see if they could get any information about the owner off the hard drive. Surely if someone is thoughtless enough to toss their garbage on the side of a beautiful country road, they certainly didn’t think to wipe the hard drive before hand.
Which brings me to todays topic, recycling your old PC.
There are numerous agencies these days that will take your old PC free of charge. Many computer manufacturers have a recycling program like Dell and Toshiba. Even Goodwill wil take old PC’s working or not.
Before you save the planet and recycle, there are a few steps you should take.
Make sure you have all the files you need off the system. Even if you haven’t powered on the PC in a long time, it is worth while to fire it up and see what is on the hard drive. Save whatever you need to a floppy or USB key.
Wipe your hard drive clean. Don’t assume that just because you are recycling your PC that it is going to be destroyed. Especially if the system still works. There are numerous tools that will perform a secure clean of the data on the drive.
Salvage what you can. Just because the computer is junk to you does not mean that there are no components that can be sold or re-used. If you have several computers in the house, make sure you are keeping the best for yourself and only scrap what is truly worthless.
Don’t pay to have your electronics recycled. There are many places that will take your e-waste items for free. Check your city’s website, or visit the EPA to find a program in your area.
Most of all be smart about your garbage. Give a few moments of thought before you throw even the smallest electronic waste into the trash. Rather than have toxins leaching into the soil for the next hundred years, save up your e-waste in a separate container and when the free collection day comes around, do your part.
