RECYCLE THOSE OLD AND BROKEN COMPUTERS

PC Repair of CT believes in keeping our landfills free of computer products that can be recycled.

Computers and monitors contain recyclable material, so it is important that they are disposed of in a manner that allows their components to be separated and reused in other products. Besides taking up space in landfills, there are many concerns about dumping this equipment in the garbage, including seepage of toxic materials into groundwater and the potential to damage fragile ecosystems.

The metals in computers and monitors, including copper, gold and aluminum, are recyclable and could be used to make new products. Instead, millions of pounds of these metals sit in landfills unused. Several tons of cadmium from computers is dumped into landfills every year in the US alone. These metals still have useful life and may be recycled into a variety of new products that contain the same metals. In addition, glass from computer monitors can be reclaimed and made into new glass products. Even the computers and monitors themselves may contain components, including hard drives and CD-ROM drives, that are still working and can be used to assemble computers for charity organizations, schools and libraries.

A number of options exist for the safe, sensible, and legal disposable of computers and computer parts.

  1. Donate your computer to a local non-profit organization. Many small or grassroots non-profits need computers less than five years old for their staff members and for programs they offer to teach children and adults how to use computers. If you?d rather go global, www.worldcomputerexchange.org sends donated computers to youths in third world countries to aid in their development.
  2. Donate your computer to a school-based refurbisher who can retool your ?obsolete? computer into one suitable for use in schools.
  3. Take advantage of one of the many corporate recycling programs.? Most large computer manufacturers offer a ?take back? program for their brand electronics. Apple, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba offer recycling programs, as do corporate retailers like Office Depot, Staples and Best Buy.? Sometimes a small fee is required to use this option, but in some cases, the company will reward you with a discount on future purchases.
  4. Call your local city government offices for a list of local e-cyclers. Most municipalities offer free services to dispose of your old computer and computer parts.
  5. Arrange pick-up or drop-off with a commercial recycler. Again, there may be a fee, but consider it a donation to preserve a safe and healthy future!

Whatever option you decide on it should start here at PC Repair of CT.

Dump it off and we do the rest.