Recycle your old computer

It is that time of year again. In with the new and out with the old.

If you were fortunate enough to get a new desktop, or laptop for Christmas, you may be wondering, “What do I do with the old one?”

If it is still usable, you may be tempted to sell it to recoup the cost of your new machine. If you are feeling generous ( it is the season for giving) you may consider donating it to charity, or giving it to friends or family. If it is old and busted and you wouldn’t give it to your enemy, then you are probably going to throw it away. There are two things to consider before either of those choices

1. What about your data? With either option, you need to not only get your data off, but make sure nobody else can get it as well. Don’t underestimate what is on it. How long have you had it? Ever bought something online? Filled out a form online? There could be all sorts of things on your hard drive that you don’t want in the hands of identity thieves.
2. Will it end up in a landfill or in some poor African nation’s water supply?

ID theft is the fastest growing crime in America. You can read more here on the FTC’s website dedicated to ID theft.

If you plan on selling or donating it, then only number 1 applies. If you plan to toss it, then both apply. If you want to donate or sell your old computer then strongly-strongly consider having your hard drive sanitized. You can take a look at our drive sanitation service. This will prevent ID theft from your old computer files. A simple delete or re-format will not suffice.

If you plan on tossing it out, then take a look at location options for recycling.

• Ohio EPA – Maintains a list of approved recyclers.
• Cincinnati Computer Cooperative is a non-profit organization that assists with computer recycling in Cincinnati. You can drop of still valuable equipment for free.
• Crayons to Computers will take working computer equipment and donate it to teachers in Cincinnati.
• Ohio Computer Recycling – FREE computer recycling.

If your computer is a Pentium 4 or newer, Custom-PC will accept drop-offs. We have extensive facilities to refurbish and re-purpose used computers and laptops.

All good options that don’t lead to a toxic landfill.