Recycling computers

[rayfieldclement]

Should we recycle old computers instead of dumping them in the trash? Do they produce toxic wastes. Should companies be held accountable for computers ending up in general trash.

I think the industry should recycle computers

recycling efforts should commence nationwide to do something with old electronic items, computers being one of them.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

In CA, we pay a recycling/disposal fee when we purchase electronics, be it pcs or tvs or whatever. I know in most of the major metro areas there are recycling days where you can take your old electronics stuff to a recycling place, and some even pick them up for you. In smaller towns like the one I live in, it's a bit of an effort to find a place that will take electronic waste except for the landfill, there we have to pay. so we get charged twice. In some cases it's better to use the old pc till it completely dies off.

 

[MPiland]

I usually donate mine (depending on their age) after I wipe the HD. That or I give it to a friend's kid that could use one as their first.

 

[piasabird]

Around here we have technology turn-in days. They haul off all the old stereo's and TV's and computer what-nots. I have been keeping all of my hard drives, but if you want to throw them away or turn them in, you should reformat the drive and write zeros to the entire drive, including the boot sector.

I often give away or sell items for little or nothing to friends and family. Then I dont turn stuff in till it too old to be worth anything to anybody, or I want to reclaim the storage space.

In my case, I am the industry. I could charge myself for desposal if I had a way to dispose of it.

 

[zardthebuilder]

if you don't know where to recycle your electronics, try looking at the Keep America Beautiful website. look for a local affiliate.

http://www.kab.org
http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=find_an_affiliate

 

[GoStumpy]

Here in BC Canada most bottle recycling depots accept computers and send them to be recycled.

They get all the dangerous chemicals out and recover any other metals, then the metal goes to a metal recycler and the plastic is ground into pellets and used for... something...

Virtually no waste when recycled properly!

 

[T_Yamamoto]

donate, use it for DC, use as space heater

 

[piasabird]

Some new Motherboards claim to be more enviromentally friendly. However, the Battery still has Mercury in it. I was reading the documentation about this on the Intel website.