RECYCLING YOUR OLD COMPUTER

by Linda Carter
© The Retail Management Advisors, Inc.
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(Information taken from the state of Texas guide)

More than 300 million computers have become obsolete in the last 20 years. Placed side-by-side, those computers would stretch back and forth across the country 57 times.
 
Unfortunately, computers contain many toxic chemicals. The monitor alone contains up to four pounds of lead, and other parts of the system contain chemicals such as cadmium, mercury, and flame retardants. These chemicals can cause problems when they leach into ground water from a landfill or are released to the air from incinerators.

But, the good news is that many of those computers didn’t go to landfills when they faded to black. Thanks to computer recycling, many found a new home, while others were broken down and transformed into something new.

If your machine is only a few years old, chances are, you can donate it to an organization that will get it into the hands of someone who can still use it. Older models can be turned in to a recycling center to extract the reusable elements. Here is an option to consider when recycling a computer:

*The National Cristina Foundation matches donors with those looking for low-cost options for obtaining computer equipment. The foundation only accepts PCs that have a Pentium 3 or newer processor and Macs that have G3 or newer processor. Learn about the National Cristina Foundation at www.cristina.org.

Also, check with your local city to see if they collect unwanted computer equipment for recycling. My city, Allen, Texas, offers residents four one-day computer / computer peripherals collections every year with a drop-off site.  If your town does not have this type of service, ask them for suggestions on where you can either donate or recycle your outdated equipment.

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Phone: 877-206-1299
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