How to Recycle Computers – What You Need to Know
Computers are great. I’m typing this article right now on one. And, presumably, you are reading The Action Blog on one 
.
But computers also contain toxins, cancer causing chemicals, and, in general, a variety of environmentally corrosive elements. Hence, it’s a good practice to recycle computers; once your laptop has retired from her loyal years of service to you, look to give her a home in environmentally friendly computer Heaven (yeah…I know…lame turn of phrase !).
About Computer Recycling
In many cases, improperly disposed of computers end up in landfill in developing countries, where they produce years of future deleterious environmental and health issues. So it’s important to embark on a responsible computer recycling journey.
So what can you do? For starters, many computer manufacturers offer solid computer recycling programs that you can generally trust. However, to the chagrin of many, particularly in this economy, you often have to pay to ship and take part in the program. While I philosophically have no problem with that – I don’t mind paying to do my part – I’d rather do my part with a nominal cash outlay, if possible.
There are companies like RetroBox and FreeGeek that offer a great service – they build “new” computers out of the parts of “retired” computers. Or you could just sell your computer on eBay, and, rather than cost you money, you could make some extra cash and do good at the same time. This assumes, of course, that your computer is in good working order.
You might also consider donating your working computer to reputable firms like Goodwill or the March of Dimes, which, incidentally, will also allow you a tax right off. Finally, you could just recycler your computer, which is how this article started.
How to Find a Computer Recycler
So how do you choose a recycler? For starters, you can go to http://e-stewards.org/find-a-recycler/ for a list of sites that offer computer recycling. Further, many recyclers are signatories to the Electronics Recycler’s Pledge of True Stewardship, which is a manifesto of sorts to recycle responsibly.
Last, talk to your friends – ask them who they used to recycle their computer. Or call your computer manufacturer. In addition to offering their own programs, they might provide a recommendation.
Protect Yourself
Finally, remember to reformat your hard drive and clean your computer of any personal data before donating, selling, or recycling it.
We live in a virtual society – our lives, for better or for worse, are lived to a large part on our computers. Hence, important items like credit card statements, bank account numbers, personal pictures and videos all reside on our trusty laptops. You don’t want this data falling into the wrong hands.
End of the day, it’s not hard to recycle your computer. You just need to do a little upfront research.
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