5 Reasons to recycle your old PC

If you've recently been to a computer retailer you will know that the newer models of PCs are so small and slim; no more bulky box on or under your desk. Maybe even no box at all in the models that have all the hardware embedded in the screen. They are so tempting and yet there is nothing really wrong with your old computer other than it being a bit slow and a bit bulky. So should you upgrade to a newer model?

That is really a very personal decision, based on your own individual circumstances, but if you do decide to upgrade then a much more important decision is what you do with your old computer. Never just throw it away; there are numerous reasons why not but quite simply if you ensure it is recycle or re-used then it could help someone less fortunate than yourself in their daily lives or with their education, and would not contribute to the growing worldwide mountain of electronic waste. But here are the reasons in a little more detail:

1. Avoid polluting the land – Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), or e-waste, is taking up enormous amounts of space in landfill sites, both in your own country but often in developing nations with poor regulations for the prevention of contamination of land and water courses. So dangerous chemical are polluting large tracts of land around landfill sites to such an extent that crops can no longer be grown there.

2. Avoid health issues – When WEEE waste is dumped the toxic chemicals and metals they contain such as lead, chromium, mercury and cadmium can put the health of the people working at the landfill sites and dismantling the items at serious risk.

3. Limit waste of resources – Even if your old computer is no longer working there are many parts of it that could be re-used, such as the glass from the screen and metals from the hard drive, and if you throw it away you are wasting valuable resources.

4. Help create more jobs – By recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), you are helping to build a new industry in the specialist area of e-waste recycling now that the WEEE regulations have been implemented in law. This industry is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe and the US over the next 5 years.

5. Help prevent data theft – when you recycle or enable re-use of your old equipment by returning it to a manufacturer or retailer, or using the services of a specialist electronic waste disposal firm, you can be sure that the data held on it is properly and ethically destroyed in a way that you might not be able to do yourself. Those intent on identity fraud will often seek out old computers simply thrown away in order to retrieve potentially valuable information that might still be on your hard disk even if you think you have deleted it.

So remember, there are many good reasons to dispose of old equipment properly for both the good of the environment, other people and yourself.

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.