Computers often can be salvaged rather than recycled

SUBMITTED ARTICLE ~ 9/17/2011

Have you seen the bumper sticker that proclaims, “Throw it away? There is no away!”
It’s true. It all has to go somewhere. And, wherever it goes, most of our old computers will be there too.
According to the most recent numbers from the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States produces more than 2.5 million tons of “electronic waste” per year.
But, what about recycling this electronic waste? Isn’t it reused?
Well, the EPA went on to report that more than 82 percent of this electronic waste goes into landfills, because the cost of recycling is too high in most cases.
The saddest part of all this is the fact that most computers being thrown away aren’t even broken. They are perhaps slow and in need of a tune-up. Or, at the very worst, they may need a single, inexpensive part replaced to make them work productively again.
Typically, a “broken” computer is only suffering from a software problem, such as a virus or spyware infection, registry corruption, or damaged operating system. But, even if the computer is suffering from a legitimate hardware issue, and in need of repair, a skilled computer repair professional can narrow down the problem, remove the afflicted component and deliver it to an electronic recycler, and keep the working components out of the local landfill.
But, instead of calling a local computer repair business and getting an estimate, many computer owners will get fed up with his or her misbehaving machine and decide to replace it with a new one. What do they do with their old computer? They recycle it, of course, which seems like the environmentally responsible thing to do… but, as noted above, these computers end up in a landfill more than 82 percent of the time.
Not only are these people wasting their own money, but they are putting an even greater burden on the environment. If you stop to think about it, they are also placing an even greater burden on those who will one day choose to clean up our gigantic mess: our children, our children’s children, and countless more generations after we are gone.
Doing your part to help the environment doesn’t mean knowing where the closest computer recycling center is. It’s picking up the phone and calling your local computer repair shop.
When you speak to them, explain the problem your computer is having along with telling them the year that your computer was purchased. Based on this data, a skilled computer repair professional should be able to estimate a cost, and then tell you if your computer is actually worth the cost of computer repair. In most cases, computer repair is much more affordable than you think. It doesn’t hurt to call and ask, right?
Mark Gogan is an independent computer consultant in Cave Creek and can be reached at 480-720-0233 or visit affordable-help.com.