You Got a New Computer, What to Do with the Old One?

That old computer of yours has finally crunched its last byte and played its last game, now what? The computer that has given you years of service, gone through many upgrades and shown you whole new worlds, is full of some of the most toxic chemicals in the world from lead to arsenic and mercury. Now that is has served its purpose, its time to decide what to do with it.

First ask yourself does it still work or can it be repaired cheaply to work again for someone else? If it does, then look around and see if there are any local organizations that offer free computers for those who cannot afford them, such as the handicapped or single parents. Good places to look are the senior centers, Red Cross and Salvation Army offices in our area. Also many of the churches and church running charities in your local area have programs to help people in need. Your old computer could help a child learn much or an elderly person to stay in touch with their family.

If it has finally gasped its last breath, then it is time to dispose of it in an appropriate way. This does not mean toss in with the rest of the trash headed for your local land fill. Doing this will just add more eco-unfriendly waste products back into the ground, leaving a mess for future generations to clean up, not a very pleasant thought. So what are you to do with that box of junk? The only thing that should come to mind is to recycle it, but how and where. This requires a little homework before you make a choice.

There are plenty of places listed that claim to recycle your old computer parts, however not all of them are reputable. Many of them ship huge piles of junk computers to 3^rd world countries or places like China, where the recycling is done is deplorable conditions, with little or no regard for the environment or the people doing the work. These people work with no protection for the toxins they are "recovering" and often end up sick and or dying from exposure.

According to the web site www.computertakeback.com there are recyclers in every state that offer a certified program that guarantees that all electronics it takes in are recycled in a safe environmentally friendly manner. They also pledge that they use no prison or foreign labor to recycle them. You will also find that many of the manufacturers will now take back computers for recycling, although many of them will expect you to package them and pay for shipping them. Some examples of this are www.samsung.com/recyclingdirect andwww.lgusa.com/green/locationlist.xls .

So before you dump your old computer, think can it be fixed up and reused, if not what can I do with it. There are lots of places that claim to recycle but not all of them are any better than just throwing it in the dump. Do your homework, it doesn't take much time and then do the right thing recycle responsibly.