Computer Recycling - Donate and Recycle Computers

Disposal of electronic equipment such as older computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, etc., is becoming a larger problem every day. Many states have passed laws that prohibit the dumping of items such as batteries, monitors, computers and printers, and are requiring that these items be properly disposed of. If you cannot find a local non-profit organization that will accept your equipment at no charge, contact a recycling center to properly dispose of your equipment.

Removing or Reformatting the Hard Drive

Before disposing of your old computer equipment it is very important to take the necessary steps to remove personal or financial information from the machine. No one wants their personal information to fall into the wrong hands.

The hard drive is the most sensitive component of a computer because it contains all of the computer's programs and files. The surest way to prevent information on the hard drive from falling into the wrong hands is to remove it entirely from the computer. This way the outside shell of the computer can be thrown out but the sensitive information can be retained. The hard drive should be labeled with information such as which computer it came from, the date, and, if known, what types of programs or operating systems it was using. Then the hard drive should be stored in a safe place similar to any other sensitive document.

If your old computer is still functional and you decide to donate it, you can reformat the hard drive or purchase a program that will wipe the hard drive clean of any data. These programs are generally not guaranteed to remove all data so you will need to follow their directions and may also need to run the program multiple times.

Once you reformat or start running a hard drive wiping program, you will not be able to recover your data. You will probably want to have your new computer up and running for a few days prior to any reformatting of an old machine. Then burn a CD backup of all of the data on the hard drive prior to running the wiping program.

Donating Computer Hardware

Rather than disposing of your old computer, if the equipment still functions consider donating it to a local school or nonprofit organization. If you have a usable good computer you may want to consider donating the computer instead of dismantling or recycling it. By searching online you can find a number of different charitable organizations who would be more than happy to receive outdated but functional computer equipment.

If you decide to donate the computer and want to get an idea of the value of your old equipment for tax purposes, you can search eBay or other auction sites for the model of the equipment you are donating to see what the fair market value would be (be sure to look at closed auctions too).

If you want to document the value of your donation for the IRS or other authorities, you can get an instant online appraisal from the industry standard Computer Blue Book.

Dismantling the Computer Hardware for Resale Parts

The best option for proper management of "retired" computer equipment is material recovery for all usable parts. If you have a computer or computer equipment that you believe is beyond repair or is too old to be useful, one option is to find a service which can dismantle the equipment properly to obtain all usable parts and materials.

Used computer parts such as motherboards, sound cards, video cards and the like may no longer be needed after upgrading your computer. But this does not mean that these should just be discarded. In fact, you can actually earn a few extra dollars by auctioning these parts on eBay or other online auction sites. There are many other computer users out there who may be looking for the very same parts that you have discarded.

Recycling Computer Hardware

Many of the components of your computer can be recycled and reused for making other materials. Instead of dumping these in your trash bin, taking them to your local recycling center is beneficial to the environment. Recycling centers promote the highest and best reuse of computer and electronic equipment, and recycle unusable items to keep them out of landfills. An online search will return dozens of organizations that offer recycling or reuse for your old equipment.

Many computer hardware manufacturers also have their own recycling and/or trade-in programs. It would be worthwhile to research this prior to buying that new notebook or desktop computer.