Where to put the old computer: recycle, return for parts or sell

Computers can be fraught with some characteristic problems when it comes time to get rid of them. Like most electronic devices, computers contain heavy metals that can pollute the environment if they are not disposed of properly. In addition, they contain rivers of personal information in the form of passwords, account numbers, and other data. No user wants all this to fall into unkind hands. Fortunately, there are several surefire ways that you can get rid of this old and uselessly working machine space without polluting the environment and exposing yourself to danger from fraudsters.

Why can't you just take it to a landfill?

There are a number of objective reasons for this.

1. Old computers, laptops, used office equipment emit toxic substances polluting the environment:
   • into the soil
   • air,
   • water.
2. Decades decaying technology on landfills releases into the atmosphere a huge number of such toxic compounds. When burning, office equipment emits into the atmosphere:
   • carcinogens
   • lead,
   • cadmium,
   • other substances hazardous to human health.
3. Such electronic equipment contains rare and valuable materials that can be reused. The use of such resources a second time can reduce the harm done to nature during field development.
4. Under the laws of the Russian Federation, by throwing household appliances into a landfill, you are violating the Federal Law on Production and Consumption Wastes.

Violation of federal legislation regarding waste disposal entails administrative fines in the amount of 5 thousand rubles. for ordinary citizens and up to 200 thousand rubles. for legal entities.

Let's take a closer look at how only one computer thrown into a landfill will affect the ecosystem.

• Body A computer consists of aluminum or tin. The decomposition period of such metals is up to 10 years.
• Plastic panel. Even after 10 years, traces of decomposition on plastic are completely invisible. This durable material can decompose over 600 years, releasing toxic substances.
• Radiator usually made from copper or aluminum. These materials have a decomposition period of 10 years or more.
• Motherboard, processor, other electronic components contain a huge amount of different metals and compounds. Some elements are not degradable. When natural resources act on such waste, a chemical reaction begins and poisons are released that have a detrimental effect on human health.
• Wires and insulation materials contain material such as PVC. Polyvinyl chloride is a non-natural material and does not decompose, but when it is heated, it releases vinyl chloride. This poison can cause cancer in humans and destroy the nervous system.

So, an ordinary system unit will be able to completely decompose only after more than five hundred years, causing during this time damage to the ecology of our planet.

Healthy computer

Consider the options - where to turn in the old computer in working condition? Even an outdated laptop or computer can live a “second” life. Often, the resources of the old technology are enough to use as:

• typewriter
• the simplest server
• media center
• file or mail server,
• operator workplace in many organizations.

Donate

Of course, such a gift is very very useful many people. You can give your old computer for free to:

• Orphanage,
• nursing home,
• boarding school
• other similar establishments.

An outdated and unnecessary computer can be presented to poor relatives or acquaintances who cannot afford to purchase new equipment.

Although you won’t get a penny for this option of getting rid of the old computer, you will be remembered with a kind word for many more years. And it's worth it!

Post an ad on the website or newspaper that deal with selling and buying used things. There are many such sites now, here are some of them:

You can place a sale ad in a social network.

These ads are submitted for free, and for placement they do not require any special skills.

If the price of the goods is adequate to the offer and not overstated, then with a high probability it will soon be purchased from you.

Demand on such products is very large.

Give up

There are companies that are engaged in the purchase of working appliances and are willing to pay for it. good money. Such equipment will be sold again through thrift stores or other marketing methods. The table contains data on the most popular of them:

Malfunctioning computer

Repairing a computer or laptop will be appropriate if the price for it is adequate.

Sometimes repairing an old computer can get by more expensive than the cost of a new.

In almost all areas there are organizations for the repair of laptops and computers.

Sometimes the master goes to the client’s house for diagnostic technology, but you can bring the equipment to the service yourself.

After the inspection, the cost of repair and the timing are called. At the end of the repair, you can pick up your computer yourself or the courier will deliver it to your home for a fee.

Buying for parts

Organizations involved in buying broken computers for parts are also common. Companies are ready pay money for partswhich they will save on the purchase of new parts needed for repairs. Such organizations even accept beaten and flooded equipment.

Buying up computers for spare parts is done by service and repair companies. The year of manufacture of a computer or laptop is not so important, because spare parts are often necessary to repair models that have already been discontinued.

In this case, you can contact such companies yourself or call the master at home. After examination, the specialist will say the amount and, with your consent, will immediately pay. The list of similar organizations by city is given in the table:

Computer equipment (or its components) may also be of interest to those who buy old boards and radio parts to obtain from them after processing precious and rare metals.

Recycling program in stores

Many electronic network supermarkets periodically arrange a recycling program. The conditions are as follows: for old appliances you will be offered a good discount on a subsequent purchase in this store.

1. El Dorado.
   • take the old computer
   • they take him out for free,
   • provide a discount of up to 20% on the purchase of a new one.
2. M Video.
   • select the desired product in the store,
   • we get a discount of up to 15 thousand rubles. to buy new equipment,
   • free removal and disposal of an old computer.
3. Technosila.
   • we select and buy goods,
   • we get a discount from 500 to 10 thousand rubles.,
   • Removing an old computer is free when ordering a new one.
4. Yulmart.
   • choose a new computer,
   • the export of the old is free with a cash receipt.
5. DNS
   • rent an old computer,
   • we get a discount of up to 10 thousand rubles. to buy a new one (computer to computer).

Similarly, you can get rid of other obsolete or malfunctioning household appliances, while receiving a pleasant bonus. Similar promotions also apply to televisions or washing machines.

Take to the scrap metal collection point

It is not difficult to take a broken computer to a scrap metal collection point on your own. Such points of reception are in every city.

Workers receiving broken metal will take apart the computer for details, sort it out and send the raw materials for processing. The weight of the computer is very modest, so it is unlikely to make a lot of money from scrapping.

In large cities, you can contact the following companies (see table):

Safely recycle old computers

If you decide to throw, get rid, donate, sell or get rid of your old computer, laptop or any device, you need to follow a few recommendations to ensure the security of your identity and your data. In this article we will talk about how to recycle or recycle old computers, laptops, or other computing devices.

Step 2. What to do with it?

1. Determine the fate of the computer. After all, you can not just dispose of it. You can sell it to someone or turn in for parts. You can remove the video card or hard drive from the computer. These things can definitely come in handy for you. Of course, it’s worth entrusting such work to professionals,

2. Give it to a friend or parents. Many aged people dream of learning how to work on a computer, but unfortunately they do not know how. You can help them with this,

3. Give to schools, charities,

Disposal by specialized companies

Disposal of computers, laptops and other office equipment very popular in the market of any metropolis.

The method of disposal of such equipment will require specialized skills and compliance with stringent safety standards.

For legal entities, it is necessary to write off the balance sheet so that do not pay property tax.

In connection with the content of precious metals in such a technique, disposal must be carried out by an organization that has Russian Assay Chamber certificate.

Companies offering their services for the disposal of office equipment will provide all the necessary documents to the accounting department of your company, and the equipment will be properly recycled.

The list of the largest certified organizations is given in the table:

Delete the command does not help

Data deleted using the Windows delete option is not deleted in real time. In addition, the DOS and Powershell “Delete” or “Erase” commands can delete data from your hard drive. Windows supports a log file (file system) to find out where it stores a particular file. This file was called FAT in MS-DOS, FAT32 before Windows XP and from XP onwards, it is called NTFS. No matter which operating system you use, it uses a registration system that allows you to check where a particular file is stored - when you start an open or write operation. You should familiarize yourself with the same file before saving a new file or when adding material to an existing file. When you start a write or save operation, Windows checks the file system for free space (look - what is the address of the next free sector on which track on the disk)!

When you delete a file, Windows or any other other operating system, it simply deletes the record from the file system - it makes this address free for recording another data set. Until the operating system actually records any data on this space, previous data will exist and can be easily restored using special forensic tools. So, how should we manage or sell computers - new or old - that we no longer need.

How is recycling and recycling?

Disposal of computer equipment consists of successive steps:

1. Disassembly. It is made manually. Each computer and laptop is sequentially disassembled to the smallest detail.
2. Sorting. All parts are carefully distributed on constituent materials.
3. Recycling. At specialized enterprises and factories, raw materials are remelted for future use.

DIY fuel briquettes and pellets - read the most comprehensive review on the topic of environmentally friendly fuel!

Want to make money on building materials from wood waste? Here is an article about the production of arbolite blocks.

A plastic bottle - the way to the bin or recycling? Do not miss the material on the burning topic: https://rcycle.net/plastmassy/plastikovye-butylki/tehnologija-pb

Features of processing laptops and computer components.

A computer recycling company should:

• have the appropriate equipment,
• own the right technology
• be registered in the Assay Chamber of the Russian Federation.

The computer arriving for recycling is carefully disassembled into parts. Then proceed to sorting. Elements made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals are sent for re-production.

Plastic parts are sorted again:

In crushed form, plastic is packed in bags and sent to plants for further remelting into other products.

Electronic and glass parts are shipped to specialized refineries.

These are enterprises that are engaged in obtaining high-purity precious metals.

From 1000 kg of motherboards produce:

Precious metals contained in motherboards and other parts are carefully removed and delivered to State fund of precious stones and metals of Russia.

Throwing a computer or laptop into a landfill is simply stupid. Rotting laptop not good neither the former owner, nor the environment. Such electronic equipment can be:

• donated
• sold for parts,
• put into disposal,
• sent to scrap delivery points.

There are a lot of options where to put the old computer, using any of them, you will make the world a little cleaner, and perhaps you will also earn!

This is how an industrial shredder works, in which old laptops and computers find their last path:

How to get rid of computers? Spoil The Hard Disk

Imagine that you need to get rid of some important paper file that you no longer need. What are your options? You can burn it (impractical, given the possibility of reusing paper). The best option is to destroy it so that the contents are no longer clear. You can do the same with files on your hard drive. You should not burn it, and I will not recommend you to do it, but, of course, many prefer to physically insert a hard drive with a hammer! You also do not need to erase the SSD due to TRIM.

You can surely destroy files using any software. Anti Tracks, CCleaner and Comodo System Cleaner are some of the programs that destroy files one at a time. You can use them to destroy specific files. Killdisk and DP Wiper are disk wipers in the sense that they destroy all files on the hard drive in one or more passes. The main difference is that you do not need to select each file separately.

But I formatted the hard drive.

Formatting helps at a certain point. Since the mechanism used to store data on the hard disk is to create scratches representing them and zeros, it is still possible for forensic software to recover disk images and therefore your data. In many cases, when the hard drive is accidentally formatted or damaged for some reason, there are experts who can restore disk images for you. The same technique can always be used to recover and misuse your data.

In addition, if you used the fast format, this will not change anything on your hard drive, except deleting and creating a new file system for this particular drive. With this in mind, you need to trim the files on your hard drive before deleting your computer or even any type of storage you use (including CD-ROM / DVD / Blu-Ray, etc.). Although you cannot corrupt optical media, you can always destroy them physically to prevent data misuse.

How to destroy my hard drive?

Shredding refers to a method where the space on the hard disk is recorded using some random characters so that the data underneath becomes unrecoverable. As discussed above, there is certain software that will help you with this. The more passes you use to shred (or wipe, as this is best known), the more secure you are against data theft.

There are several free programs that will allow you permanently delete files . Microsoft recommended KillDisk and DP Wiper explain on their page how to recycle old computers. You can also contact a Microsoft Certified Refurbisher, who will ensure that all your data is deleted from the sold / donated computer before it is transferred to someone else.

If you are using a smartphone, make sure that you log out of all your online accounts, delete your photos, delete all installed applications and then factory settings of the device before you delete them.

Also read : Precautions to be taken before sending to a PC or laptop for repair.