As technology goes on it is real that if your computer is more than 2-3 years old it is already obsolete, and disposing of the growing quantity of obsolete computer equipment is rapidly becoming a major problem.

For one thing, those discarded CPUs, monitors and laptops going to the landfills are big chunks of material that are mostly not biodegradable, but more importantly they contain substances that are actually toxic such as lead, chromium, cadmium and mercury. A single CRT monitor might contain up to eight pounds of lead. Many localities in the US and Europe are passing laws regarding the disposal of electronic equipment, and it’s quite possible there will be a federal law soon. Regardless of the laws where you live, as a computer user and a resident of mother Earth, there are things you can do now to help alleviate the problem, including the options listed below.

Donate – There are still hundreds of thousands of students who don’t have regular access to computers at school. If your old computers are still working, they can make a difference there. Even non-working computers can be used for technical training in the programs run at several prisons, where the inmates learn computer repair and the rehabbed computers are then donated to the schools. As for other non-profit and charitable organizations, some accept used computer equipment and some don’t, so you will have to check locally.

Recycle – Many recycling programs are in place at the local or state level all across the country, and information on these can be found at http://www.eiae.org/. This site is run by the Electronic Industry Alliance, a group of manufacturers who have a strong interest in solving this problem. The site only covers the US, but it has 175 listings just in California (Micro 2000’s headquarters) and over 30 national programs, so there should be several to choose from no matter where you call home.

One solution you’ll want to be careful of is giving your old equipment to a junk dealer or salvage operation. Most of these are probably ethical, but some of them will just extract anything of value and then dispose of the rest illegally or by shipping the waste off to some third-world country. Until we have another planet to move to, out-of-sight out-of-mind is not really an acceptable policy for toxic materials.

Buy Used – This helps on the other end of the equation. Most of the computing done in a typical office involves word processing and other tasks that don’t really need the fastest new processor and gigantabytes of RAM or hard drive, and many computers being recycled or headed for the scrap heap are perfectly adequate for such tasks. If you can get by with something that isn’t cutting-edge, you’ll not only save some money but will prevent another computer from ending up in an overflowing landfill.

Trade-in – If your company is buying a quantity of new computers, you have some leverage to insist that taking your old systems is part of the deal. Depending on how many new systems you are buying there may be a small fee for each old system or it may be free. Many of the larger manufacturers such as Dell, IBM and HP have a program in pace to accept old systems for a reasonable charge whether you are buying new equipment from them or not.
Hazardous waste collection – Many communities have a program to periodically collect household hazardous materials. Although the programs are usually intended for paint, garden chemicals and things of that sort, used computer equipment definitely qualifies as hazardous waste and small quantities are almost always accepted.

Sale – You may find that your old equipment can actually put cash in your pocket. For large quantities a dealer exchange such as UsedComputer.com may be the ticket. For one or two systems, you’ll have to do a little research to find a local purchaser of used computer parts and systems, but they are definitely out there.

No matter which avenue you take with surplus equipment, make sure that no drives or systems leave your possession still containing sensitive data. Credit card numbers, passwords, trade secrets, personal financial and medical information are just some of what criminals try to recover from recycled or abandoned hard drives, and if you think deleting the files or even reformatting the drive is enough to protect your privacy, think again. It takes a professional tool such as EraserDisk or the Secure Wipe feature found in Micro-Scope to put magnetically recorded data beyond the reach of the most determined crooks and spies.