Recycle your old Computer

Imagine the scene: You buy a new computer with a 20” wide flat screen, Windows Vista, loads of memory and a huge hard drive, you spend a couple of hours setting it up then you start to wonder how you ever coped with your old, slow machine that you paid £1000 for just 5 years ago. Sat in the corner of the room is the heap of old equipment including the scanner and the ADSL modem that you can’t get Windows Vista drivers for. How do you dispose of your old equipment safely and with regard to the environment?

First of all for your security and privacy you should delete all personal documents, Internet access accounts and email accounts. Deleting the information and emptying the recycling bin is not sufficient as the data can still be recovered and read. To be safe you should use a data-erasing program like “Eraser” Version 5.82 available free from sourceforge.net. This program securely deletes your data and prevents recovery of personal details. If the computer cannot be started you can still erase the hard drive, contact me for further details.

As for disposal, if the computer is serviceable give it to someone who can get a bit more use out of it. Local schools are generally quite well supplied with IT equipment and would only be interested in Flat screen monitors and Pentium 4 or above computers.

If the computer is very old or you can’t give it away there is a local company called Renovo in Glossop (01457 899601). They will take computers and monitors up to 17” without charge. Monitors over 17” £7 disposal fee. Suitable equipment is recycled, tested and sent to third world countries and charities as working IT equipment. Obsolete items are properly disposed of for scrap metal content and a certificate of correct disposal is available on request.