A Major Challenge in Environmental Protection

February 28, 2008

As the ownership and use of electronic gear has proliferated, the disposal of outdated and broken equipment has become a major challenge. Because such gear is considered hazardous waste, it cannot be thrown out with ordinary trash. There is no federal regulation governing electronics disposal, but some states have regulations. California is one of the states that does not permit electronics to be placed in landfills.

So...what is a person to do?

If your computer is still functional, give it to a school or charity. Same is true for cell phones and toner cartridges. Perhaps you can sell it on EBay or to a computer reseller.

Recycle it. Some municipalities do provide recycling services as do some manufacturing companies. Apple offers recycling programs for computers, printers and IPods. You can hire a third party company to dispose of your equipment. The advantage of using a specialized vendor is that they assume liability for the disposal and a reputable vendor will also wipe your hard drive clean. (Remember to save your programs and wipe your disc clean with a special software program. This extra step can be critical to prevent identity theft.)

Here are a few web sites you might check out if you are thinking of disposing of your electronic gear.

http://www.pcdisposal.com/

www.epa.gove/ecycling

http://www.quickwiper.com/

http://www.webmasterfree.com/

(I obtained this information from an article that was published in the March 2008 Realtor Magazine.)

Recycle it