I made a thread a long time ago about PC recycling & I finally got some information on it. I know a bunch of us have old computers & crap lying around that we're not sure to do with. If not us, probably our parents or other family members who have since upgraded their systems.

A lot of people aren't sure what to do with their "e-waste" as it's referred to. It is estimated that by 2007 these unused computers will number about 500 million. In fact, 3/4 of all computers ever bought in the US are now being stored in people's closets, garages and basements.

Materials such as lead, cadmium, mercury & barium are found in computers & can be harmful to the environment if disposed of improperly.

http://rethink.ebay.com/ is a great resource to get started. You can find out which organizations might be interested in your old computers.

here is a link to the recycling programs http://rethink.ebay.com/odcs/custom.htm?template=recycle

and donation programs http://rethink.ebay.com/odcs/custom.htm?template=donate

here are a few more links

http://www.ntrp.org/

^ that link has specific information about recycling ink cartridges, cell phones, PDAs & computers

http://www.usedcomputer.com/nonprof.html

http://www.worldcomputerexchange.org/

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,126275,00.asp

^ if any of your old computers are Dell, they'll take them back for free & take care of them for you. If you don't really feel like going through any trouble with the above links & would like to just get rid of shit, Dell will arrange pick up of up to 50lbs of non Dell equipment for $10.

Also, don't forget the importance of erasing hard drives properly to protect yourself against identity theft.

i did a quick search and came up with this article on the topic http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110012,00.asp the first page tells you why you should do it & the second page offers some suggestions

someone may have a better resource for making sure drives are clear.

Anyway, I hope this helps some people who have some e-waste and weren't sure what to do with it. If anyone uses any of the posted resources please report back with your experience with the ease of doing so & such.

7/14/2006 11:45:07 PM

http://www.rtpnet.org/recycle/

There's the one for RTP area.

7/15/2006 7:52:31 AM

Good thread!

I have a ton of shit i need to get rid of, but i'd rather dispose of it properly than just toss it in a garbage can.

Yeah, I'm a shitty republican.

7/15/2006 8:34:42 AM

yes! this is exactly the response i wanted

people posting more information

and people getting the information they need to get rid of the crap!

the process seems really easy & the feeling of getting rid of all that stuff is great!

does anyone have more information about clearing harddrives? i think that keeps a lot of people from going through with getting rid of their systems

7/15/2006 11:35:03 AM

Find a really big magnet and run it over it usually does the trick, at least good enough for me.

Either that or I just take it apart and break the hell out of the disc itself, if you have never opened one up I dont know that you could find a more perfect mirror than those babys.

[Edited on July 15, 2006 at 11:38 AM. Reason : .]

7/15/2006 11:37:27 AM

I have a ton of e-waste

7/15/2006 9:23:00 PM

That's awesome - I have all sorts of old computer parts.

And here I was thinking of esgargs...

7/16/2006 10:41:00 PM

is this really e-waste? i see it as regular, tangible waste

7/16/2006 10:49:07 PM

e is short for electronic, so yes

7/16/2006 10:49:37 PM

o yea

7/16/2006 10:54:37 PM

Quote :

"does anyone have more information about clearing harddrives? "

There's a couple threads in Tech Talk which go into detail about that.

What alternatives exist for areas that don't have a good program in place and/or charge to come and pick up the old stuff? There are two dumpsters 200 ft from my apartment complex which is a heck of a lot easier (and cheaper) than having them come pick it up or hauling the stuff to Charlotte to be collected.

7/17/2006 6:18:27 AM

^ drop it off at goodwill or see if a local boys & girls club or something like that would be interested

also

bttt

7/23/2006 12:57:51 AM

Before getting rid of any harddrive, it's not a bad idea to give it a good cleaning with Kill Disk :http://www.killdisk.com/



[Edited on July 23, 2006 at 2:13 AM. Reason : Whatever]

7/23/2006 2:02:55 AM

many computer companies have such programs. IBM, HP, Apple. Just take it to them and they know how to deal with it.

7/23/2006 2:21:24 AM

Quote :

"3/4 of all computers ever bought in the US are now being stored in people's closets, garages and basements."

i have three in the attic. FTW!!!

7/23/2006 2:29:36 AM

bttt

8/13/2006 7:10:51 PM

Quote :

"Good thread! I have a ton of shit i need to get rid of, but i'd rather dispose of it properly than just toss it in a garbage can. Yeah, I'm a shitty republican."

hahaha im still using a case that i got from you, in a pile of shit on the side of the road

8/13/2006 7:41:34 PM