It’s getting towards Christmas-time. Is there a new computer on your wish list? Maybe someone you love is getting one? Great! Just be sure to dispose of that old computer in a responsible manner. Yes, it’s easy to simply toss it in the trash can. But in doing so, you’re only contributing to the ever-growing amount of electronics in the waste stream.
According to the EPA, approximately 2.5 million tons of consumer electronics – including televisions and computers – are sent to landfills every year. Only about 18% of all computers are recycled.
There are some real environmental concerns connected with disposing of electronics in a landfill. Computers and monitors frequently contain toxic substances, such as lead, mercury and cadmium. These substances, if they leech into the ground water, can cause health concerns for both humans and animals.
In addition, every community has people in need who would love electronics that you would otherwise dispose of.
So, you don’t want to throw away your old computer. What do you do with it? First of all, since this author lives in Vancouver, Washington, I’ll talk about a wonderful program offered here. It’s call CREAM – Computer Reuse Education and Marketing. CREAM is a non-profit organization that accepts used computers and refurbishes them either for community reuse or resale in their thrift store. This not only provides computers for families in need, but local college students gain training in the refurbish process. CREAM is located in the Habitat for Humanity store at 5000 E Fourth Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98661. Visit their website at http://www.upgradeyourcommunity.org.
Now, let’s look at other computer disposal alternatives. Thrift stores are good donation outlets. Some of the major ones being Goodwill, Salvation Army and Deseret Industries. Many other non-profit organizations operate thrift stores as well. And donations to these organizations are tax-deductible!
In addition, you can give away your old computer equipment on web sites, such as Freecycle (http://store.freecycle.org/) or CraigsList (http://www.craigslist.org/). Your local newspaper may also offer free classified ads for those wishing to give away items.
One thing to keep in mind before donating (or even selling) your used computer. Along with the computer, you do not want to give someone all of your credit card and bank information, passwords and other personal data. If you simply hand over the computer, it may well be that this information is still on the system’s hard drive. Even if you delete the files, the data may still be there.
Many people recommend that you physically remove the hard drive from the computer before disposing of it. Then destroy the hard drive and throw it away. This way you can be sure that no one can get your info. This will certainly work, but it still contributes slightly to the waste stream, plus leaves the recipient of the computer without a hard drive.
Instead, I prefer to wipe the data from the system, but leave the hard drive in the computer. There are several free programs that will erase all of your data from a computer. A couple of my favorites are Eraser (http://eraser.heidi.ie/) and Disk Scrubber (http://mariussoft.com/products.aspx?Product=DiskScrubber).
So, keep your data safe, recycle instead of throw away, and we’ll all rest a little easier.
This article is provided by Steve Smith, The Computer Psychic. All content is protected by applicable copyrights, and may not be reproduced without express consent of the author.
The information in this knowledge base article is provided “as-is” with no warranty, express or implied, as to the suitability or validity of its content. It is up to the reader of this article to determine if the steps outlined herein are appropriate for his or her use. As with all tasks on the computer, be sure to have a current backup of your data before proceeding.
