Senators want tax breaks for computer recycling

Legislation would give incentives for nationwide recycling program

Computer Recycling Requirements

Computer recycling requirements are different for households and businesses. Computers disposed of by a household are excluded from the definition of a hazardous waste

Surplus Property, Computer Recycling

The Surplus Property program in conjunction with Computing and Communications, Medical Centers Information Services, and Records Management has developed..

Recycling of Old Computer

Most organizations have been collecting obsolete computers for years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that 45 million computers will become obsolete annually..

A1. E-waste is broken down into many components and parts. Depending on the material or component, parts of it can be reused or recycled again to make new products. Any parts that cannot be reused are broken down to components such as plastic, metals, and glass, which all can be recycled again into other products.

A2. Leaving ewaste in the trash is against the law. New law states that we all must recycle ewaste, with no exceptions.

A3. Although your thoughts are good, even donating to a non-profit organization can put your company at serious risk. Many times, donators don't have the time to completely erase hard drives - leaving sensitive data (tax returns, account information, etc.) accessible by identity thieves. Just deleting documents isn't enough - you must know how to completely erase the hard drive..Eventually at some point, the equipment becomes too obsolete even for the beneficiaries to use. Just one piece of equipment tossed to the side of the road or in a landfill can lead to thousands of dollars of fines and/or lawsuits. Make, model, and serial numbers are just a few ways they can tie ownership back to your company. At ComputerRecyclingPros, the California State funds us to destroy and recycle this for you and at the same time offer you documents which gurantees your protection from any lawsuits or fines.

A4. Scrap electronics are damaged or obsolete equipment which cannot be reused or resold in a secondary market. For ComputerRecyclingPros: electronics made on or before 1994 is considered scrap. The labor costs include hiring a staff to pick up the scrap, dispose of the scrap, disassembling the units into small components and separating all the materials into recyclable bits. Reusable electronics don't necessary need to go through this process, and can in most cases be resold into the secondary market.

A5. Palletizing monitors can be a little tricky. To see tips on palletizing electronics click here.

A6. Any electronic equipment can be recycled depending on the recycling center you go to. Because of legislation, there are strict limits to what each recycling center can recycle.

A7. ComputerRecyclingPros offers Assured Data Destruction (ADD) for an additional charge. ADD fee will depend on quantity. Hard drives will be removed and processed for the aluminum value only.