Dealing With E-Waste
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2005, used or unwanted electronics amounted to approximately 1.9 to 2.2 million tons. Of that, about 1.5 to 1.9 million tons were primarily discarded in landfills, and only 345,000 to 379,000 tons were recycled. As technology advances, more and more computers need to be retired, hence the urgent need for information on how to properly recycle your computer.
This lens seeks to provide complete information about the need for responsible recycling, the major e-waste recycling issues, and a list of companies and organizations with reliable recycling programs.
For updated recycling information, please visit:
PaceButler Recycling Blog
This lens seeks to provide complete information about the need for responsible recycling, the major e-waste recycling issues, and a list of companies and organizations with reliable recycling programs.
For updated recycling information, please visit:
PaceButler Recycling Blog
How To Recycle Your Old Computer
These are some of the recycling options available for us today:
- Donate Your Computer
This is a win-win option all the way. You're assured that your old computer is being handled properly, you're able to help provide technology to the needy or educate young minds, and you can deduct the undepreciated value of your comp from your tax payments, if the donation qualifies. - Post in a free recycle forum
Include the specs of your computer in your post and wait for a few hours. You ge to choose the individual or family who will receive your computer. Donations of this type may not qualify for a tax deduction. - Recycle computer with non-profit recyclers or refurbishers
This option also qualifies you for a tax break. Some groups like FreeGeek.org (see below) will recycle your equipment for free in exchange for community service (refurbishing computers) or for a minimal fee. - Recycle with a Manufacturer
We have listed some manufacturers below who have free recycling programs and some who charge a minimal fee which include shipping. Some offer coupons to offset cost of recycling or new purchase. Others have the donate-tax break option. - Return Equipment to Manufacturer
These days, most US manufacturers have computer take-back or recycling programs where you can return a computer you bought from them or trade it for another model. - Delete Sensitive Files Before Recycling
Finally, double-check that you have permanently deleted all sensitive information from your computer before sending it for recycling. Many local recyclers or refurbishers and some manufacturers offer deleting recoverable files from your computer for free or for a minimal fee.
Recycle Your Cell Phones with PaceButler
Lens Sponsor
There are now over 600 million cell phones in America today. With an estimated 140 million users replacing their old cell phones every 14 months, approximately 100 million cell phones are added every year to this mountain heap of cell phones that we have.Help keep your cell phones away from the landfills where they can potentially leach dangerous chemicals like mercury, cadmium, and lead into our underground water systems.
Recycle Your Cell Phones.
Request a FedEx Shipping Label from PaceButler today
The Need for Responsible Computer Recycling
Don't ship my computer to China or to the nearest landfill
Before groups like the Basel Action Network (BAN) were able to spread the word, the practice of exporting e-waste to developing countries or dumping these to the nearest landfill was rampant. Today, we know the amount of lead, mercury, and other toxic chemicals there are in a computer and the frightening effects these will have on us when we're exposed to contaminated water supply. In places like Guiyo in China, hundreds of villagers are suffering from untold complications from the ill-effects of these toxic chemicals while they dismantle American computers in rudimentary facilities and the surrounding areas are heavily poisoned.Please recycle your computer or have it responsibly recycled by qualified profesionals and companies. Ask the refurbisher or recycler you work with where exactly your computer will end up.
Hazardous Metals inside Your Computer
Your computer contains metals like aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, palladium, platinum, selenium, silver, and zinc. Eight of these metals (shown in italics) are listed as hazardous by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
The Encyclopedia of Earth
Computer Recycling
The Encyclopedia of Earth
Computer Recycling
Computer Recycling Video
Computer Recycling - Intercon Solutions
http://interconrecycling.com Computer recycling and electronics recycling expert Intercon Solutions can assist you with a customized program to meet your recycling needs. We are committed to the environment and its preservation. Any organization, big or small, who has old computers, computer components, or electronic components will benefit from our computer recycling and electronics recycling services. www.interconrecycling.com
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The Basel Action Network
BAN is the world's only organization focused on confronting the global environmental injustice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade (toxic wastes, products and technologies) and its devastating impacts.The Basel Action Network (BAN) advocacy includes the responsible recycling of E-Waste, combatting the rampant its export to developing countries that have no proper facilities for the handling of such waste and the use of prison labor in recycling.
BAN has initiated signing of The Pledge by North American recyclers committed to preventing the dumping in landfills, burning in incinerators, use of prison labor, and export to developing countries of E-Waste from the US and Canada.
Basel Action Network (BAN)
The Pledge of the E-Stewards
Donate or Recycle Your Old Equipment with Free Geek
"Helping the needy get nerdy since the beginning of the 3rd millennium"
FREE GEEK is a 501(c)(3) not for profit community organization that recycles used technology to provide computers, education, internet access and job skills training to those in need in exchange for community service.Free Geek was founded in February 2000 (and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in April 2000) to recycle computer technology and provide low and no-cost computing to individuals and not-for-profit and social change organizations in the community and throughout the world.
Volunteer, Donate, Recycle, Earn a Refurbished Computer at:
FreeGeek.org
Donate Your Equipment and Get A Tax Break
When you donate your equipment to a library, school, or a nonprofit program -- including a nonprofit refurbisher, you are entitled to deduct the un-depreciated value of the computer from your tax payments. Don't forget to attach to your returns the tax receipt that school or nonprofit provides bearing your name, the name and identifying number of the recipient organization, and the model and type of equipment donated.Image from CNET Cycle Challenge
Apple Recycling Program
Apple offer a free computer recycling program when you purchase any qualifying Apple computer or monitor from either a retail Apple Store or the online Apple Store and opt in to the Apple Recycling Program.Apple will send you an email with instructions on how to recycle your old equipment for free. For online Apple Store customers, the email will be sent once your new equipment ships. You are responsible for packaging and transporting your equipment to the nearest FedEx location.
For more information, please visit:
Apple and the Environment
Dell Recycling
Dell offers recycling service for Dell-branded products for free. They also offer to recycle other brands if you purchase a new Dell product and opt to recycle your old computer at the time of purchasing the new Dell product.For more information, please visit:
Dell Recycling
HP Recycling Services
HP does not offer any free recycling program at this time. However, they will take in both HP and non HP-branded products for recycling. The recycling cost could vary from $13-34 per item "depending on the type and quantity of hardware to be returned." HP rewards you with computer recycling coupons if you use their recycling program and then purchase new HP hardware.For more information, please visit:
HP Recycling Services - US
Gateway Recycling
Trade In or Recycle
If you're a recent customer of Gateway, you can actually trade-in your "pre-owned and working" computer or resell it to them for cash.The Gateway® Trade-In Program powered by Dealtree
Or you can recycle your used computer or electronics in accordance with environmental best practices. Gateway will not process anything above 70 pounds and you have to pay for the shipping of your electronic item to be recycled. Open to non-customers of Gateway
The Gateway Recycling Program
Lenovo-IBM Recycling Service
Lenovo, a Chinese PC manufacturer acquired IBM's PC Division in May 2005. Lenovo does not offer free recycling as of this time but you may use IBM's buy-back program to reduce the cost of recyclng, which is $30 per box/equipment. You can also choose to donate your equipment to charity after they refurbish it, and Lenovo will send you a receipt for tax-offset purposes.For more information, please visit:
Lenovo Product Recycling Programs
Lenovo ThinkPlus Recycling Service
Remove Data Before You Recycle Your Computer
You don't want sensitive information falling into the wrong hands, do you?
Before recycling your computer, it's important that you remove all sensitive data from your hard drive. Some recycling or refurbishing companies will do this for you, you just need to ask. Some will do it routinely on the computers that they process, others will do it for a set fee. Most manufacturer take-back program options don't provide for this service, however.Be proactive. Do it yourself, or make sure that the recycler or refurbisher will do it for you. Hackers and identity thieves won't find it beneath them to scour e-waste dumps in search of recoverable data.
Wipe That Hard Drive Clean
Software to help you
The best way to ensure that no sensitive information like SSN, bank account, and credit card information can be recovered from your computer is to erase the data yourself. Here are some software options you can use to do te job, or you can find your own freeware at Shareware.com or PCWorld.com.Sure Delete
The program has three deletion methods: a quick wipe (which overwrites the file 4 times, a Department of Defense method (which overwrites the file 7 times with random data), and a Super Secure mode which overwrites it an impressive 24 times.
Price: FREE
Blancco File Shredder
Blancco - File Shredder enables you to permanently erase selected information stored on your hard drive and other memories. Blancco - File Shredder utilizes an advanced algorithm technique which overwrites your files multiple times so that the information contained in them is no longer readable, thus destroying the original data completely.
Price: $32.45
Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser
Warning: This isn't a file-by-file erasure tool; use it only when you want an entire disk gone forever. While there are several stages of "Are you sure?" to go through, once the program has done its job, there is no turning back.
Price: FREE
Paragon Disk Wiper 8.5
If you need effective and reliable wiping solution for home usage please refer to Personal Edition. It guarantees you secure and easy erasure of your critical data with a new powerful Paragon developed algorithm along with creating your own customized wipe method.
Price: $29.95 for the Personal Edition
Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition
The goal of the Silicon Valley Toxic Association and the Computer TakeBack Campaign is to stop the valanche of e-waste and protect users and recycling workers from toxic e-waste. Their agenda includes requiring manufacturers to take "full life cycle" responsibility for their products, providing users with recycling information, and promoting the reduction or elimination of toxic components from computer equipments.For more information, please visit:
Computer TakeBack Campaign
Rethink Initiative
"The Rethink Initiative offers a fresh perspective on the challenge of e-waste, with information, tools and solutions that make it easy to sell, donate, or recycle used computers and electronics."Rethink: Fresh Ideas For A Cleaner World
PaceButler Can Also Help Recycle Your Cell Phones
We pay as much as $50 for each cell phone you send to us for recycling or refurbishing
4 Easy Steps To Keep Your Cell Phones Away From The Landfill:1. Use the Purchase Price List to find the buyback value of your phones.
2. Print a free FedEx Pre-paid Shipping Label so we can pay the shipping.
3. Box up your phone handsets and batteries (no accessories, chargers, etc.) then ship with our pre-paid label.
4. Get Cash! We'll issue your check within 4 business days of receiving your cell phones.
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GreenChickens wrote...
Thanks for taking the time to put together this great information!
Posted August 28, 2008
Jefferson wrote...
This is a great lens! SO many companies try to get your lat dollar for their hardware...they never reccomend how you an RECYCLE the computer and make the world a better place.
I'd like to refer to this lens on my blog: www.ShopForTheGood.com. When I do, please be sure to 'comment' so you can share more of your expertise!
Posted August 10, 2008
triathlontraining wrote...
You've got some very informative lenses. Keep it up! :)
Posted May 24, 2008
Recycling Computers Across The Web
- What About Ijunk? | Newsweek.com
- "A cradle-to-cradle computer...might consist of 'just one or two types of plastics, easily taken apart' and put back into the streams of production. Nothing is thrown out because nothing is waste."
Explore More...
My Other Lenses and Sites
Recycling! Recycling!This is my main gateway lens focused on recycling and environmental issues. Content summaries and previews of all my recycling lenses are found here, along with links to relevant web pages outside of Squidoo.
For the Latest Updates and Information on Recycling
Pacebutler Recycling Blog
by MichaelArms
My name is Michael Arms and I work for Pacebutler Corporation, the cell phone Recycling and Refurbishing company. We are currently involved in helping... (more)
