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Donating a Computer
As more companies,
organizations, and individuals find reasons to upgrade their computer
equipment, the problem of disposing of old equipment grows.
There are three reasons why finding the appropriate way to
discard old computer equipment is important:
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According to the U.S. EPA, nearly 250 million computers will
become obsolete in the next five years. In 2001, only 11
percent of personal computers retired in the U.S. were
recycled.
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Each computer dumped in a
landfill is a missed opportunity to provide Information Age
tools to people across the digital divide.
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Out-of-date computer systems can be more of a burden than a
blessing to schools and nonprofits, as it can cost them up to
$400 to bring a pre-Pentium computer up to today's standards.
Donate computers to a recycler, rather than
directly to these other groups.
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Tips for Donating A Computer
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Determine if your old computer can be reused.
If you have a computer that is less then five years old,
chances are that it can be put to good use by someone else.
Some non profit organizations, including Goodwill, do not
accept anything older than a Pentium III. (Please do not
donate Pentium or Pentium II computers.)
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Recycle old and broken PC equipment.
Any equipment that is not working or that is below Pentium II or
Mac Power PC-level should be tagged for recycling. Recyclers
are businesses or organizations that remove useful parts and
then break down the rest of the materials, as we do with
bottles and cans.
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Remember the accessories. If you can, include the
keyboard, mouse, printer, modem, packaged software, or any
other accessories. Most organizations only
accept complete systems.
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If possible, keep the operating system intact.
If you are donating hardware with a pre-installed Microsoft
operating system, keep in mind that the license is only valid
when used on the original OEM machine on which it was first
installed. Since charitable organizations usually cannot
afford to purchase and license new operating systems, a legal
transfer (keeping the machine and operating system together)
can be very helpful.
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Provide the original media and documentation. It's
helpful to have the original disks, media, and documentation
that came with the PC when it was purchased. Include the proof
of license, which will help facilitate the legal transfer of
the operating system.
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Plan for future donations. Save a box from the
recycling bin and use it to store the documents that came with
your new PC. When the time comes around to donate that PC,
everything will be in one place.
For more information visit
TechSoup's
recycling page
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