What Options Do We Have For Recycling?

[ProTech Support]

Basically I wanted to know what options we currently have for recycling old computers/hard drives/monitors/etc

I have a lot of old stuff laying around I need to get rid of, but I also want to turn this into some sort of service to get more traffic in the door. From what I have heard recycling computers would cost you to do? Are there any sort of partner programs for companies that recycle a lot or offer it as a service? I am not trying to make money off of offering the service, I just have had a ton of people ask me, and I also figured it would be nice to advertise a free service to the public (even if it costs me a little bit to do).

Anyone who currently does this, your feedback would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MrUnknown]

I do not do it yet, but I have been looking into it, so your responses would also help me out.

 

[chrisaroz]

http://reconnectpartnership.com/
Not in all areas, but useful if you fall in the coverage! Other than that, I don't know.

 

[ProTech Support]

Here is what we do; and it can be pretty profitable.

We are partners with a recycler that does nothing but computers and electronics, however they charge us to recycle stuff. We only bring them monitors, because other recycling agencies will not take them. This company charges us like $%.00 per monitor. Keep that in mind;

We charge $0.50 per pound for monitors, or if they have a few of them, we may offer top take them for $12.00 each flat.

Desktops are usually free, and here is why. You can strip them down. The cases (mostly metal) can be recycled as regular metal/steel. You can make money off this. You can strip the power supplies out of them, and cut the wires off. The wires can be recycled as copper, which can net some decent money. You can take all of the PCI/AGP cards out. They pay well for these, as for the gold contacts on them. The mobo itself can also net some good cash, with the CPU attached. Now, I separate the aluminium heat sinks, because those can be worth much more when recycled as clean aluminium. I also recycle the power supplies separate, because they have copper windings inside usually, and those can yield some good revenue, because of that, and can be considered electric motors, which can go with the copper wire. The hard drives, well Those usually have high grade aluminum on the tops. I strip those off, and toss them in the clean aluminum pile. I take the controller board off, and toss that with the mobos. The rest of the drive goes to the driver shredder. CD/DVD drives are worth a couple of cents per pound as is.

I hope this helps someone. Here in NY it is against the law for businesses to toss out electronics in the trash, and soon it will be for residentials too.

ALSO: You could just strip these down to usable parts, and sell them off, or donate the machines for tax write offs, which we do occasionally.

Disclaimer: I have worked the past 60 of 72 hours. My head is not 100% here.

Where do you actually bring these machines that you completely strip down though? Do your bring it to one place, or do you run to 15 different places? And what place are you actually taking it to, is it just a normal recycling center? Sorry if these are basic questions, but for some reason I find myself utterly confused about this.

What I was thinking was I will advertise free computer recycling as well as give them a 10% coupon for doing so. That way I have a potentially return customer, and I can make a minimal profit off of the recycling process. Not to mention I can clear this store up a bit!

 

[ProTech Support]

Thank you ACG, big help as usual. I hope to get something together here. I guess my first step is to locate the local electronics recyclers as well as scrap metal places. If I run across any interesting information on this subject I will post away.

As for now...I am cleaning 2 computers...then going to sleep! Crazy 3 days, but business picked up and all the jobs are done - ah, the pleasure of owning a small business!

 

[usacvlr]

I like the method of recycling where it magically gets picked up by this big truck and deposited in this special storage facility for the future called a landfill. Then in a thousand years or more someone else will dig it up and marvel at our ancient artifacts. I am recycling the past into future discoveries!

 

[oztrailrider]

I like the method of recycling where it magically gets picked up by this big truck and deposited in this special storage facility for the future called a landfill. Then in a thousand years or more someone else will dig it up and marvel at our ancient artifacts. I am recycling the past into future discoveries!

So you're not concerned about waste and pollution to ground water?. Electronics and landfill are not a good mix.

Our council runs an electronics recycling collection program so I drop my stuff to them.

 

[usacvlr]

There's nothing in a computer that's going to destroy the environment....
Now the gazillion disposable diapers people throw away might..

So you're not concerned about waste and pollution to ground water?. Electronics and landfill are not a good mix.

Our council runs an electronics recycling collection program so I drop my stuff to them.

 

[MichianaComputers2]

I formed a non-profit to handle computer recycling.

The computer repair business and the recycling business are separate entities.

We just got the preliminary web site up at

http://www.deadPC.org

 

[Johnthegeek]

Two issues are at work here. Environment and disposal.

My clients frown upon throwing out electronic boards. It is because of their environmental perspectives. My state and clients frown on throwing out crt because it is illegal and again their environmental perspectives. When I take their equipment to destroy/recycle (reminds me of antiques/junk) we are respecting their wishes in how we handle it. So I can the metal and plastics but I pull the electronics. They get properly recycled. The crt's are charged for to cover my expenses in pickup.

Personally I think much of the environmental green stuff is wrong. I think it is based on a small sliver of evidence and a huge portion of emotion and personalities of the person. At the same time my opinion is also based on a small sliver of evidence and a huge portion of emotion and my personality. So I keep the crap out of the landfill. If it isn't plastic or metal it gets recycled.

 

[elight86]

We recycle our customers old machine with a local electronics recycler. Customers give us their old PC's and we salvage what parts we can then take the rest to the recycler. It costs both our customer and us nothing to do this.

There's nothing in a computer that's going to destroy the environment....

Actually, computers contain many heavy metals which contaminate our fresh water supply and aquatic life. They also contain plastics which take thousands of years to break down. They are extremely damaging to the environment and should ALWAYS be recycled properly.


See link below for more information.
independent.co.uk/environment/toxic-metals-danger-in-your-computer-724018.html

 

[JosephLeo]

There's nothing in a computer that's going to destroy the environment....
Now the gazillion disposable diapers people throw away might..

Let's see...

Solder: Usually a 40% Lead, 60% Tin. Also- Silver is also considered a contaminate on a microscopic scale as well. So Silver solder is bad too.

Mercury is also found in computers and old CRT monitors- just a drop of that stuff can painfully kill you.

The plastic casings- well, that is bad for the environment because it just takes so god damned long for it to just go away.

You'll also find Cadmium in computers as well, a toxic as well.

If I remember there is an average of 2.1 million tons of computer waste that is generated each year...in America alone- of which only 1/100th of which makes it to the proper recycling center. So, you tell me how safe that is

 

[Canadian Tech]

Here in Ontario, and most parts of Canada we have to charge an environmental fee for the purchase of most computers, monitors, peripherals, and printers. Our recycling is free but we have to apply to be a steward/drop off centre. Then as a steward we have to remit these fees that we collect. This is all governed by the Ontario Electronic Stewardship program.