Where to send old PC's...

[Jeeo]

One day while I was quietly working on a friend's PC in my room, I thought of a great idea that would better help my understanding of all computers. I remember reading an article in one of those PC magazines (I forget which) about a place where you can send your old computer to. Well, in my strange obsession of collecting junk, I thought about having people send all their old computers to my house, the only disposial fee they would pay would be the shipping. So if any of you would like to dispose of your old, useless computers please contact me at

[email protected]

No computer is too old-- those Commadore 64's and Apple II's of which I have heard so much about are yet to be explored by me.

[3fingersalute]

There's a lot of place old computers can be donated to (non-profit, educational, etc.) that we send all ours too.

[Jeeo]

But what of those really, really old or totally broken ones, eh?

[3fingersalute]

But what of those really, really old or totally broken ones, eh?

We usually pitch them!!

[Jeeo]

Ah...... seems such a waste to throw away something that a student could benifit from.. eh, whatever.

[Major Kong]

Ummmm...are you prepared to apply for a RCRA Class Hazardous Waste permit, RCRA waste handling and recycling permit? Not to mention a Phase IV LDR (Land Disposal Restriction) 40 CFR 268 determination. Not to mention USDOT permits for the shipment of hazardous materials and the additional permitting requirememts of the State of California.

Because of the amount of lead and mercury in the circuit boards and the lead shielding in CRT's when thrown away they are classified as hazardous waste. PC's from an individual household are exempt under RCRA rules, but any PC equipment disposed of from a business are hazardous waste under the D008 and D009 waste codes.

Even if you only accpeted household "used" PC's (never use the term waste ) your "establishment" would still be classified at the very minimum as a recycler. There are exemptions though. Never ever refer to what you are doing as waste handling or recycling. You just accept old workable equipment that you are going to reuse. It has a lot to do with terminology. Completely stay away from taking broken equipment.

This is a very touchy issue now and the EPA actually has a couple of proposed rules in regards to PC waste.

If you are wondering how I know so much about this well it's what I've been doing for a living since 1981 (I've even had my hand involved in the drafting of waste rules and guidance for the EPA and the State of Arizona).

[3fingersalute]

We have a guy from a local recycling yard who picks ours up and takes them and supposedly takes them for the precious metals on the board........whatever!

Anyways, I never realized there we so many laws involved in disposal. I send our obsolete/busticated equipment with him cause it is free and gets it out of my hair...............I could not get approved to pay shipping to send them off to somebody who wants to collect them, and would not pay the shipping myself either.

[Major Kong]

We have a guy from a local recycling yard who picks ours up and takes them and supposedly takes them for the precious metals on the board........whatever!

Anyways, I never realized there we so many laws involved in disposal. I send our obsolete/busticated equipment with him cause it is free and gets it out of my hair...............I could not get approved to pay shipping to send them off to somebody who wants to collect them, and would not pay the shipping myself either.

What your doing is perfectly AOK. The reason the EPA has not come beating down the doors of every business in the US about PC's is the same reason they had to back off big time in regards to fluorescent lights and Halogenated bulbs back in the early 90's (back then 99% of all fluorescent lights were HazWaste for Mercury and Lead content, the new lights are green and much better - most halogenated bulbs are still hazwaste but can be managed in such a way that they fall out of the category). The US Gov't is the largest user of fluorescent lights & bulbs in the world...the GAO (Government Accounting Office) put the brakes on the EPA in a lock up screeching manner in '94. The disposal cost would have been astronmical for the Fed at you know who's cost, so the regs were rewritten to include a new category called Universal Waste. The same can be said for PC's & CRT's. The EPA has been wrestling with this for some time now. There are some proposed rules out there, but they involve user fees. There has also been some guidance written. Here is a pretty decent link to those who deal with this day to day.

http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/20...ntials/p70.htm

Here's a Department of Interior site that is real good too and has some excellent links.

http://www.doi.gov/greening/waste/computer.html

Folks I could write volumes on this subject, but I'm not sure Scott would appreciate it, so I'll close before it gets way too complicated and I'll have to charge y'all my going rate of $125 an hour...

[3fingersalute]

I'll have to charge y'all my going rate of $125 an hour

Yow!! $125 an hour??..............I need to relocate to Alsaka I guess!

[Major Kong]

Yow!! $125 an hour??..............I need to relocate to Alsaka I guess!

No you need to become a Senior Environmental Engineer!

It only takes:
Bachelor of Science Environmental Studies - Ferrum College
Bachelor of Science Environmental Health/Minor in Chemistry - ETSU
Institute Degree Mining Engineering - Virginia Tech
Master of Science Technology Environmental Management - Arizona State

Plus a BA degree in History from ETSU while I was waiting around for my BSEH degree at ETSU.

You get them sheepskins and then 22 years experience and you're on your way!

[TripleRLtd]

All very impressive Mayor, butt, I still want to know what I can do with my garage full of crap.

[Mayet]

Actually the Major Sir is correct. There is heaps of money to be made by scrapping or wrecking computer parts for the various bits and pieces but the laws make it prohibitive here. We were looking into it after a friend in another state started making a killing on it, but then he got into environmental trouble too.

[Major Kong]

All very impressive Mayor, butt, I still want to know what I can do with my garage full of crap.

Garage Sale at Trips place!!!

Household crap is exempt by Federal regulation it can go to the landfill. Unless there are local regulations. If that is the case see Garage Sale above.

[Major Kong]

Actually the Major Sir is correct. There is heaps of money to be made by scrapping or wrecking computer parts for the various bits and pieces but the laws make it prohibitive here. We were looking into it after a friend in another state started making a killing on it, but then he got into environmental trouble too.

Hi ya Mayet! How have ya been! How's the little one?

[TripleRLtd]

Garage Sale at Trips place!!!

Household crap is exempt by Federal regulation it can go to the landfill. Unless there are local regulations. If that is the case see Garage Sale above.

I live on an island. Of course there are local regulations.
So, how about helping me out with my garage sale then?