Recycle your old computers

With the speed of technology moving so quickly these days, it’s inevitable that you will find yourself with one or more computers laying around the house. They might have stopped working, become overrun by viruses, or were just too slow to mess with anymore. When it comes time to clean out the garage or basement, you might consider throwing the old computers in the trash. They are no longer worth anything to you and you need the space. Please don’t do that! See below for some ways to recycle those old boat anchors.

Before you recycle
No matter what condition your computer is in, you need to make sure you remove all data from the hard drive. There could be sensitive financial data or emails still in there that could be accessed if it dropped into the wrong hands. Removing the data doesn’t mean right clicking on the file and hitting delete. It means reformatting the drive and starting from a blank slate. (even reformatting isn’t enough sometimes) If you’re going to do it yourself, I recommend using a tool like Darik’s Boot and Nuke which has secure methods of wiping the drive. (like Department of Defense quality)

Please note that using this tool will wipe everything off your hard drive, so make sure you know what you’re doing before proceeding. It’s also good if you have the Windows install disk and any driver disks that came with your computer. If you plan on giving the computer to someone else, these items will come in handy. If all that sounds scary or is too much work, contact me and I can do it for you. (shameless plug!)

Ways to recycle

1. Donate it to an organization
If your computer is in working order, your first choice of recycling might be to donate it to a local organization. Check places like schools, churches, nursing homes, or other non-profit organizations. Not only do you get that warm fuzzy feeling for helping someone out, but the donation might even be tax deductible!

2. Give it away
If you can’t find an organization to donate it to, giving your computer away is another choice. There are numerous places online to post free stuff such as: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Freecycle. You could also try taking the computer somewhere local like Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

3. Take it to a recycling center
Some recycling centers accept computers and other electronics. Please note that there usually are fees involved for them to recycle your gear. Folks in the Champaign/Urbana, IL area can take their used electronics to Mack’s Recycling in Urbana.

4. Pass it on to the kids
Kids love to tinker with gadgets, especially the younger ones. They won’t care that the computer isn’t running the latest and greatest software. Pick up a few games or educational software at a garage sale and let them go to town.

5. Find a community recycling event
If you’re in the Champaign/Urbana, IL area, there is a free electronics recycling drop off event coming up on August 6, 2011. They accept computers as well as other gadgets like TV’s, VCR’s, and cell phones. For more details, check out the flyer or the Champaign County Regional Planning Committee website.

I hope you found this article useful in finding ways to properly recycle your old computer. Do you have any other suggestions that I did not list? If so, please post them below in the comments area. Thanks!