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What's the Best Way to Recycle Old Tech in the US?
Tim Danhamn writes "SmartPlanet.com, a green-focused Web site, has put up an article about the best way to recycle your old tech, including local recycling centers and reusing old technology in other ways. I'm about to upgrade to a new PC and I have a lot of old radios, MP3 players and other electronic goods lying around the house. The article though is mostly about solutions in the UK, so I want to know - what is the best way to recycle old tech in the US?"
Scarily enough, even "recyclers" may not be doing the right thing here. I've enclosed an interesting link from the NPR series "Consumed" which talks about how
the US sends vast electronic garbage to China, and how some of the materials may be finding their way back here, in a not-so good way.
link
Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
One great way is just to give it away to anyone who wants it. Try this link to Freecycle, where there's a list of groups for areas within the US and around the world.
Freegeek, in Portland, Oregon, is the best recycling option around. They recycle old monitors and equipment in an environmentally safe way. They use functional equipment to train people to work on hardware and install open source operating systems. Volunteers earn a refurbished system after volunteering 24 hours of time.
Good idea, but is it cost-effective if you only have a few items to sell? Can I be certain that I won't end up paying listing fees and failing to get rid of the equipment? Not to mention the hassle arranging shipping for bulky items. No doubt a million people will post this but a good solution which gets the equipment to people in the local area is Freecycle.
I have a process for getting rid of old crap. The nice thing is I usually break even (or so).
Step 1: Find a local hamfest. Hamfests are held all around the country. Keep an eye out for the bigger ones. There's one in my town once a year, and it's one of the bigger ones around. I nab a table for $10, load it up with old crap, and try to sell it cheap. Minus the cost of the table and gas, I usually make a hundred here. Don't get excited yet. You'll need that money.
Step 2: Find a local recycling program. It just so happens that the county I live in has a recycling facility, and since their focus is not making money as much as it is proper disposal, they're the cheaper option. What I don't sell at hamfest gets taken there. Usually I ring up a good size bill, so financed by option 1 is a good thing.
Step 3: Find food. With the $20 or so left over after all expenses are paid, go eat. Now you just emptied the basement, did so responsibly, and got pizza out of the deal.
There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
:wq
If Ebay isn't cost effective for you, then you can always try Craigslist, if a subnet exists for your area. It's free to post ads, and you get the benefit of dealing locally. I've sold or given away hardware this way before to ensure it doesn't wind up in a landfill. Your contact info is anonymous (until you reply to responses). It's good to be able to make the exchange face-to-face rather than over email only. Of course, the usual "Don't be Stupid" rules apply to scams and jerks, etc. I highly recommend it.
Yes, there are some places where any bit of hardware would be welcome, but the greater majority of NPOs need decent (read 2-4 year old) PCs, not the dinosaur in the basement. We need to access many of those blasted Flash-based sites, and old hardware just won't cut it like it anymore.
If possible, donate to a third-party refurbisher like this. Read through this for ideas on what NPOs really need. If you do want to donate an old beast that "runs Linux just fine", I encourage you to donate your time to teach and keep the machine up, too. It's hard to break the MS Charity Licensing habit, but it can be done with your help.
Please do the responsible thing, and don't donate your old tech to avoid paying to have it recycled. We barely have money to buy new parts and equipment, we don't have enough to pay for recycling the old stuff so you don't have to.
IDWAANPO: I do work at a non-profit.
I know you're trolling, but for anyone reading this and wondering;
The metals mentioned don't exist in nature*. Galena, Chromite, Cassiterite etc are ores which do exist in the environment and from which chrome, lead and tin etc are produced. They're relatively safe because they're locked in host rock and largely insoluble in water.
* Except crystalline lead in very rare circumstances.
"I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."