New Year's Resolution: Do Something About That Pile of E-Waste

My Flickr Photo from a visit to Freegeek in Portland, Oregon

Earlier this month, I was in Portland, Oregon and had an opportunity to visit FreeGeek, a computer recylcing organization.  It got me thinking about the computer graveyard that is my home office.   I have the dead bodies of too many computers and other electronics collecting dust in my office.  (Not to mention cluttering up the floor space.)  So, I decided that one of my New Year's resolutions would be to do something about this growing mess of e-waste that I have been to afraid to simply throw in the trash can.

I spent some time over the downtime of the holidays to clear the clutter, carefully removing and organizing equipment no longer being used.    I put them in a corner.  Ah, that felt great.  But, now what? I tweeted about it!

Within a few minutes, Jessica Burko, offered two Boston area solutions:  the world computer exchange and list of local options where I can donate equipment.

In a quick scan of various nonprofit lists, I wasn't the only person in the nonprofit sector who decided to do something about my e-waste.   Here's quick round up of responsible ways to recycle the e-waste hanging around your office:

The electronics recycling industry is plagued by "sham" recyclers - those that rely on low-road practices for making a quick buck, like exporting to developing countries and using prison labor for processing, or simply dumping e-waste after taking out the most valuable parts.   Use a responsible recycler.  You can find one  using the Electronic Take Back Coalition's map

Depending on the brand and model of the computer, some manufacturers actually have programs to take back their older products and recycle them.  The Electronics Take Back Coalition has a guide to computer manufacturer take back programs.

The Service Source Network helps people with disabilities and has a Keep It Green program.  Because computers contain materials that could be dangerous if left in a landfill, the ServiceSource Network has partnered with CDM eCycling to keep these hazards out of our environment.  Donated computers are disassembled so their component parts can be reused.  They work in Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina.

The National Cristina Foundation accepts donated computers, software and peripherals and then matches these items to a charity, school, or public agency that has been selected from its partner network.

For more information, check out the greenpeace guide to guide to green electronics and these green resources from TechSoup blog and MAR program.

How are you dealing with your nonprofit's e-waste?  What are your best tips and resources for finding a responsible local computer recycler?

Comments

[Kari]

Thanks for all the links - I was wondering though what is the best way to deal with the information on the hard drives? I have some old equipment that I know I will never have the time to really look at to see what is there and would like to know if you have found a good reliable way to clean that information up before you pass them on.

[Shaping Youth]

That green machine chart shifts faster than a blink, gosh, it wasn't that long ago that Lenovo was leading the top tier, (at least when I wrote the "Eco-friendly electronics" post for Shaping Youth springboarding off of Epeat and the other Green Electronics Council linkage you were kind enough to share!)It become a favorite post for many green teens, due to all the links embedded: http://www.shapingyouth.org/blog/?p=584

I've also just plopped a link to your update here in my comments section so thanks!

As far as Kari's question above, I highly recommend reading this CNET article called "Skeletons on your Hard Drive" addressing the issue of data exposure via the NAID (Nat'l Assoc. for Info Destruction; yes there really IS such a thing!)

In other words, don't just count on a 'wipe it clean' software program if you've got tons of passwords, SSN data etc. in this age of identity theft. Clearly it's 'overkill' for an average users' concerns, but useful deconstruction nonetheless!

Here 'tis:
http://www.news.com/Skeletons-on-your-hard-drive/2100-1029_3-5676995.html