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Changing a School's Tech Disposal Policy?
An anonymous reader writes "I attend a state university where a new building has recently been put in, and a new budget put in place. They have decided to upgrade all the computer systems involved in the department, with a few slight exceptions. From my limited understanding, State policy is that we cannot just let things go, they have to be sent back to the state capital in order to take them off the books. Then they put them in the dumpster. I feel that this is a huge waste of useful machines (some are merely two years old), but I know not how to change this. Any suggestions, or does anyone know where Illinois dumps used tech?"
Since when was Illinois the same thing as Texas?
You might want to verify that they put them in the dumpster. I work in state government and all agencies here send old equipment to state surplus, which lesser funded agencies can get things out of and the leftovers are sold to the public at auctions. If your state government is just tossing all its surplus then you should contact someone in your state legislature about changing such a wasteful practice.
It's perfectly normal to lease a machine for three years, while it is covered by warranty/service contract, and give it back after the lease expires.
The failure rate of old equipment goes higher and higher, and without proper maintenance contracts you'll start of getting into unstable territory.
It's perfectly OK to do it this way. It does not make sense spending an inordinate amount of resources of keeping a huge park of a variety of machines running.
Instead, standardizing on a few machines and tossing them out when another technology renewal is due is *good*. It makes management easier and allows IT to keep things running smoothly.
Go to http://www.state.il.us/CMS/1_buying/statesurp.htm, which is the firs tlink on Google when searching for "Illinois state surplus auction" for more info.
Go to our state online auction site to see if they end up there, too.
There's a reason Central Management Services exists -- it's to provide the central management of the services all state agencies need to kkeep duplication of effort to a minimum. One thing all state agencies need is to dispose of surplus equipment.
In fact, here is the state law that governs this process: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=555&ChapAct=30%C2%A0ILCS%C2%A0605/&ChapterID=7&ChapterName=FINANCE&ActName=State+Property+Control+Act.
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As one who attended a State of Illinois school, I did find out that once or twice a year they have a huge auction in Springfield where they will sell off old stuff including computers. I do also know that a lot of the stuff we sent down from Northern Illinois, was very old and had been striped of anything usable before we would let it go. I you can contact someone in a materials mgmt department they should be able to give you that information.
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That's what we did when I worked as a student tech at Clemson University. Every year we made a bulk purchase of lab computers. Half the lab computers on campus got replaced. The next year the other half would be replaced (and it went back and forth such that lab machines were changed out every 2 years).
When a lab machine was retired from service, they were then distributed to the IT departments of the various colleges (though I'm sure most here understand this, I'll just explain: a University is usually broken down into smaller "colleges" even though they're all still the same school. I worked at the College of Business and Behavioral Science).
We then would clean up the machines, put a fresh image on them (since we got them in huge batches of identical configs they were easy to keep images for), and then send them out to the faculty that were running old machines. Naturally for faculty deemed special enough to deserve it they could also get a brand new computer bought during the purchase of the incoming lab machines as well.
When we finally got done with them, we'd send them to a surplus sale. The general public was free to come in and purchase them at whatever randomly low price the surplus department decided to ask for them (the prices are normally dirt cheap because we were essentially just ready to dispose of them, but since they're bought with tax dollars the public has to have a chance at aquiring surplus property).
I'm assuming that the disposal procedure is state law as I now work at another government organization in SC and the surplus procedure is pretty much the same. That can be a good place to pickup some parts though. 17" CRT monitors (which we're always getting rid of a few of since flat panels are all the rage now) generally get put up for $5. Pretty good spot to pick those up when someone needs one.
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
Normally a lot of the problem is about accounting.
If they are returned vs. given away vs. stolen. all accounts differently in the books for tax purposes. If your university is state owned it is probably an issue that it is easier to trash the computers then give them away because then you will get groups saying they need them more then other groups. No it is not fair or easy but thats the governemnt.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
My employer (a fairly major Big East university) auctions off all old equipment. It's a way to get that final .01% return on their investments.
Great place to pick up old servers though.
As a former employee of an Illinois University, I can confirm they are auctioned off. The Universities are required to wipe the hard drives and then send the machines to Springfield. When they arrive on nicely wrapped pallets, the state randomly selects a few machines from each school and tries to recover data from the drives (simple scans, nothing to extreme, from my understanding). If anything is recovered the entire pallet of returned machines is rejected and the university pays a sizeable fine (we were hit on two of our pallets because a student employee missed a machine that just happened to be selected in the random scans) to have it transported back and they get to rewipe all machines. If they pass the quick check for data, the machines are auctioned off - usually to nonprofits.
A family member of mine works at UNCC and he deals with the a similar policy, all of their "obsolete" equipment gets sent to a warehouse.
The only way to get the stuff out of this lockup is to buy it through a NPO.
We've liberated a few of the PC's by funneling them through our church. Hell, it's even tax deductible!
I work at a college in illinois (chicago to be exact) and we don't throw out old systems. Every few years when they feel necessary or professors complain they will replace our department computers. The computer support people delist them from use and mark them as storage. Then they sell the systems for dirt cheap to students and faculty (who get them for free). I don't know of any policies in place regulating how many systems employees can take but I'm working on acquiring number two right now. I assure you, at least not at this college, they are not tossed in the garbage. Not only is this wasteful and stupid but it is also against the law IIRC. Computer components are very hazardous to the environment. You can't just throw that stuff out. It has to be recycled or disposed of properly, like any hazmat or chemical material.
Not sure, but I believe the OP may have been high at the time... (look at his user name)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5... That's the combination on my luggage!
I dunno which school you mean, but at UIUC they have a big warehouse in Orchard Downs area where they keep all the surplus (also includes desks, chairs, book-cases) until it goes to the state. This is just for internal UIUC use and you require a Surplus Redistribution Form signed by your buildings facility manager. That sounds like a handful, but it's actually pretty easy to get. You are on good terms with your facility manager right?
In your specific situation I would go talk to the department office and find out who the manager in charge of surplus disposal for the computer switchover, they might be able to help you as well.
In addition, you can get some really sweet nuke-proof desks and stuff to really geek out your office.
From UIUC:
SURPLUS REDISTRIBUTION
Surplus equipment and furniture are available from the UIUC Surplus Redistribution Facility, located in the Horticulture Field Lab Annex at 1707 S. Orchard Drive.
Most computer hardware is sold at surplus auctions four times a year in Illinois. I worked for Illinois government as a contractor for 9 years and saw countless pallets of PCs and Macs move through there. Lots of other cool stuff too, including a powered drafting table I picked up for $75. I locked the table flat and can raise and lower it depending if I want to work standing up or sitting down.
I'm really a low 5-digit Slashdotter, but this ID is where I am now.
I work at a University in Australia where such things used to happen. Not so much any more...
In between ideas about responsible e-waste disposal, the occupational health and safety (not to mention public liability) issues of leaving items lying on the floor in the hallways and what we're permitted to stick in our waste stream these days, we've been instructed not to do that. It still happens from time to time (got an HP Laserjet 3380 labelled "Free to good home" and some great 17" CRT monitors that way, about a year ago), and occasionally there are skips that get things that they expect nobody will want (recently got an early all-in-one Mac and an IBM 5150 with matching display, both in working order, that way), but I don't see anywhere near as much corridor-dumping any more.
Because the vendors don't get their fat contracts with the state to supply more new systems. That's why allot of equipment regardless of what it might be is destroyed by various government agencies. A sudden influx of cheap equipment cuts into the sales of new equipment. Many companies have a "destroy after end of life" clause in their government contracts.
Its a terrible waste but it ensures vendors get to sell lots of new stuff down the line without competition from liquidation auctions.
Recycling for Illinois is a not for profit electronics recycler that refurbishes computers for placement with students, low income and the physically challenged. If the computer is too old to be useful or too broken to be refurbished, they break it into component parts for physical recycling. RFI is located in Peoria, IL and can be contacted at (309)682-3209. Please don't harass them - they do good work for lots of people and help make the world a green place - their motto is "Bringing Independence Through Technology For Those In Need While Protecting The Environment".