E Waste Recycling

Hello everyone and welcome to another House Help podcast.

 

I’ve been cleaning out my closets and found several obsolete computers along with other unwanted electronics.  What do I do with these dinosaurs? 

 

Disposing of these unwanted items can be problematic; they can contain lead, mercury and other toxic substances which makes them unsuitable for disposal in local landfills.  Refurbishing and recycling is a responsible, effective way of disposing of your unneeded equipment.  Since the market value of most computers drops dramatically after two years, donation is an attractive option.  Best of all, donating your old equipment to a non-profit can make you eligible for a tax deduction.

 

Almost all three-to-five-year-old working computers can be upgraded to do useful tasks such as Internet browsing, e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and finances.  Often, non-profit organizations can refurbish these computers by installing bigger hard drives, more RAM, and a network card.

 

You can find a list of non-profit organizations that offer refurbishing and commercial recyclers at http://www.techsoup.org.  You should also check out http://www.electronicsrecycling.com, which is full of information about recycling and reusing computers.

 

If you can’t find an organization near you to take your old computer, Staples makes it easy for customers to recycle e–waste.  According to their website, customers simply take their used computers, monitors, laptops, and desktop printers, faxes and all–in–ones to any U.S. Staples store.  Staples stores accept all brands. There is a $10 fee per piece which is used to cover handling, transport, product disassembly and recycling. They also accept keyboards, mice, and speakers at no charge.  Other national office supply chains are also offering similar services.

 

Whatever you do, don’t dump your equipment into the donation box for your local thrift store, church or school.  Broken equipment and computers older than five years old can’t be refurbished and their disposal becomes the responsibility, and cost, of the poor agency that has become the unwanted recipient.

 

Well, that’s all for today.  Thanks for listening and if you have a question or idea for our show, please send an email to [e-mail].   If you need a free referral to a reliable quality contractor, visit our website, www.freehousehelp.org.

 

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