A regular part of being wired (or wireless, for that matter) is the necessity for computers. Desktops, laptops, tablets and handhelds…we keep buying them, and we keep getting rid of the old ones. With Vista finally released, businesses and consumers are buying new computers in droves. It has even generated more interest in new Apple computers. So what do you do with your old equipment, with Earth Day around the corner on April 22? Massachusetts does not allow CRTs to be disposed at solid waste disposal facilities (310 CMR 19.017). There is often a fee to drop off a monitor or TV at your local facility, the DEP explains.
Dell has a few options, will accept any make, and even picks them up at your home.
Hewlett-Packard will also take any brand, and sends a shipping tag for between $13 and $30. They offer HP coupons for HP merchandise in return.
Lenovo's ThinkPlus Recycling Service offers prepaid shipping labels for $30 each to be used for sending any manufacturer's old equipment for recycling or refurbishment. They use a designated center to recycle your materials and sends reusable equipment to Gifts In Kind International, a charity specializing in product philanthropy.
Apple also offers $30 shipping labels for any brand equipment. Free shipping if you purchase Apple equipment.
Plenty of other groups, such as the National Cristina Foundation (http://www.cristina.org) and Share the Technology (http://sharetechnology.org) specialize in distributing reusable computers to people or organizations in need of computers. A partial list of donation sites can be found at the DEP page.
