Thursday, September 5, 2013
Face it you are never going to use that old Windows ME computer or the flip phone you have hiding in the closet.
I know it is hard to just toss out a gadget you paid many hundreds or thousands of dollars for just a few years ago. Also it is not really environmentally friendly to fill our landfills with outdated electronics. There are better alternatives.
Stat with this U.S. EPA website which gives you tips on where to donate or recycle your old electronics and what to do before you let it go.
Certain devices, especially smartphones and tablets do have some resale value. Old computer towers are harder to sell. There are two online sites that make it easy for you to sell your used devices.
Glyde will buy video games as well as smartphones and tablets. They also show you a comparison of the amounts offered by other sites.
Gazelle will buy old Macs as well as phones.
Amazon has a trade in program that doesn’t actually buy your device but will take trade-ins in exchange for a gift card.
Even if you can’t sell them, your old gadgets do have materials and parts that can be recycled. Many big tech companies have a recycling program that will take your old device for free, responsibly recycle it and may even give you a discount toward a new product.
Samsung: The website will direct you to a local center where you can drop off your out of date Samsung products. So far, the website claims they have recycled more than 276 million pounds of out of date high tech equipment.
Dell: Dell does not make you take your old machine to a center, but they provide free FedEx shipping of any Dell product. Dell also accepts used toner cartridges and will take other than Dell computers when you buy a new Dell.
Apple: Apple only accepts Apple products and will send you a gift card if your old device has any value.
Best Buy: Best Buy will recycle just about any electronics, including TVs, DVD players, computer monitors, audio and video cables, cell phones, and more. They will pick up and haul away your old appliances when you have a new one delivered, or you can use the recycle kiosk inside every Best Buy location.
Other companies with corporate recycling programs are HP, Sony and Lenovo. Check the company website for any other old device you need to discard. They may have a program as well, many do.
Recycling is better than the trash. However an even better option could be to donate your old device to charity. Here are a couple of options.
StRUT: Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT) provides schools with reusable technology that students refurbish to develop the skills they need for a career in technology.
Komputers 4 R Kids: Also uses out dated equipment to provide training and to make available re-purposed technology to low income groups. K4RK will accept nearly any electronic device except household appliances.
Three things to keep in mind when it comes to old electronics
- The hard drive must be completely wiped clean of all your old data, especially patient information. This does not mean you just delete the data by throwing it in the trash. You need to actually run a program to completely erase the information or remove and destroy the hard drive. Keep clear records of what was donated or sold and how the data was removed or destroyed.
- The sooner the better. If you are no longer using a device, sell or donate it as soon as you can. A computer that is three years old can be refurbished and used by students; a computer that is six years old will be recycled for parts.
- Include related materials. If you are donating a computer, include any manuals, keyboards, cables, software, etc., you have that you no longer need.
As a general rule you should update your office computers every three to four years. When you replace one of those old business machines it no longer has any value to you but it could be valuable to someone else. The future is coming and it will be amazing!