[Michlib-l] Discarding computers compilation

Mon Oct 22 11:53:58 EDT 2018

Here's the compilation of responses I received. Lots of great advice, ranging from donating, to tech take aparts, to recycling. Thanks! Not sure what I'll do yet, but it's good to know I have so many options! 

Don, 

Those that we had that were still in decent shape were sold on 
govdeals.com. We made some money back and they found a good home. 

Hello Don, 

Have you considered selling them as part of a book sale event? When I was with the Genesee District Library they would occasionally sell off the older computers at the HQ summer book sale and they usually sold very quickly. It was a good deal for the public and for the library. 

We actually have someone here from Electro-Cycle right now picking up a lot of electronics for recycling. We had an drop off event on Saturday for 3 hours where we had 120 cars drop off personal items. It is no charge to the public or to us. 

[ http://electro-cycle.com/ | http://electro-cycle.com ] 

We try to sell these through the used book sale (wiped and system reloaded.) We also offer them to staff for cheap purchase. I have given a few to the Senior Center. You might also try charter or underfunded schools. We have to pay to recycle (due to the heavy metals) so I have justified that giving them away saves us money and keeps us from running afoul of giving away public assets that still have value. 

Hope this helps! 

Hi Don, 

We just had a take-apart this past weekend with ages 9 and up. The kids took the computers apart together in a step-by-step fashion and a computer science student volunteered to lead it and explain what all the components inside were. The kids LOVED it. I think it was a very educational and fun thing to do with these machines. 

Hi Don, 

I highly recommend the Advance Computer Recycling-Resources. They pick up your items at no cost and schedule a pickup. 

Nicole Henderson 
Administrative Secretary, Advance Computer Recycling-Resources 

Phone: [ tel:734-340-6271 | 734-340-6271  ] 
Email: [ mailto:advancecomputerrecycling at hotmail.com | advancecomputerrecycling at hotmail.com  ] 
Website: [ https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Facrgreen.org%2F&data=01%7C01%7CBettieP%40ccr1.com%7C6fdfff668ad84976a14f08d466f4ae2a%7Ce932331fe0d148c591f0c45d6c6ada05%7C0&sdata=SUnNXcQ2o5qyOvDFN8Haso0l4ApIjQ1WNNvqVJrrOSg%3D&reserved=0 | Acrgreen.org  ] 
Address: 926 MINION ST YPSILANTI MI 48198 

This company picked up all our outdated electronics to recycle for free. They will also wipe clean/destroy harddrive. < [ mailto:matthew at electro-cycle.com | matthew at electro-cycle.com ] > 

Hi Don, 

In the past, I’ve used Advance Computer Recycling since they do not charge a fee to pick up and dispose of old equipment – the last time we used them was 10-2017. 

Below is the contact information I have: 

Nicole Henderson 

Advance Computer Recycling 

Phone: [ tel:734-340-6271 | 734-340-6271  ] 
Email: [ mailto:advancecomputerrecycling at hotmail.com | advancecomputerrecycling at hotmail.com  ] 
Website: [ https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Facrgreen.org%2F&data=01%7C01%7CBettieP%40ccr1.com%7C6fdfff668ad84976a14f08d466f4ae2a%7Ce932331fe0d148c591f0c45d6c6ada05%7C0&sdata=SUnNXcQ2o5qyOvDFN8Haso0l4ApIjQ1WNNvqVJrrOSg%3D&reserved=0 | Acrgreen.org  ] 
Address: 926 MINION ST YPSILANTI MI 48198 

Hi Don, 

Our local Goodwill takes electronics for recycling and then they get extra money for the charity from the recycler. 

We have done take apart events which the kids love but just make sure you have safety glasses for them (they tend to pry and bend things to get them apart). 

Hi Don, 

Not sure about donating them as-is to an organization for use (personally I'd wipe them, overwrite them, and then do a clean install of the OS before donating them for security reasons), but there isn't any reason to pay for disposal of them (I wipe them and overwrite them for recycle too, but no need to do a clean install). Our local recycle center would pay us (as long as hard drive and the other metal components are intact) and Staples has a free recycling program ( [ https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/sustainability-center/recycling-services/electronics/ | https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/sustainability-center/recycling-services/electronics/ ] ). 

Nice shirt, in your library profile picture. (Thanks!) 

If the computers shipped with a license for either Windows 7 or Windows 10, wiping them up for a reload and reuse is easy enough to do. 

Your local public schools might be open to forwarding them to students from free lunch/breakfast families that still don’t have a computer. IF Comcast is still participating in your area, families qualify for $10/month basic access. My local elementary used to, but they had a single teacher who administered the program. When he retired, so did the program as district techs wouldn’t accept responsibility for distributing them. 

Another option is a Senior Center, where they teach computer classes. 

[ https://www.techsoup.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInbKGwvOI3gIVi43ICh15KgIKEAAYASAAEgIO6PD_BwE | https://www.techsoup.org/ ] might be able to put you in touch with a local charity, school, or other library, that could benefit. If someone will do the paper work, you can get free/cheap Microsoft Office for the donated machines. 

If I’m repeating things you already know, please forgive my ignorance. Windows 10 will run on a computer with two gig or more of RAM. Drive size needs to be 100 gig or larger for the OS and future patches from Microsoft. On board video is fine. I use DBAN [ https://dban.org/ | https://dban.org/ ] to wipe spinning hard drives and a program named Parted Magic [ https://partedmagic.com/secure-erase/ | https://partedmagic.com/secure-erase/ ] to safely reset SSDrives. Windows 10 installs from an 8 gig USB drive using Microsoft’s Media Creation tool [ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 | https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 ] . There is little interaction required for the install. If, like many Dell computers, the Windows license is coded into the BIOS, you won’t even be asked to type that in to activate the OS. 

I’m happy to offer free advice. Often that advice is well worth the cost. Occasionally not. 

We had a public tech recycling drop off this weekend with Electro-Cycle coming today to haul away the items. We threw in our own old computers and telephones as well. There is no charge for pickup. 

http:/electro-cycle.com 

When we have older computers- we have our tech guy wipe them clean and we offer them for sale to our staff and then public. Last time we had a big turnover, we sold the old computers for $20 each (towers only, no screens) and they flew out the door! 

We held a garage sale for used equipment and earned about $2,000. Our IT staff wiped them clean and insured that everything was operable. 

I recommend a tech take apart program, especially if you have someone on hand who can discuss the interior of a computer and what the parts do. Great information! It's vital to have hand and eye protection and a variety of screwdrivers. 

Best of luck! 

Hello, 

A few years ago TADL had a public sale of used desktop, laptop and miscellaneous tech equipment. 

I don't recall prices but they were stripped of operating software, they all worked. 

Leftovers were recycled I think. 

The laptop and desktop I bought are still going strong. 

Happy Monday afternoon, 

I know Best Buy will take and recycle old electronics. I believe they have a limit of how many they will receive a day from individuals, but if nothing else that is a possible option. Another option, I have seen other libraries do is they sell them for a decent price to their staff members. 

Here is an option. 

[ https://www.cristina.org/ | https://www.cristina.org/ ] 

Like most things, I find if you set them out for free they go within the hour. 

Hi, Don. 

Check with your local school(s) to see if they're interested in any of them for "take apart" in classrooms. 

We only replace about 5-10 each year and phase down the ones still in good condition into our catalog computers and our learning center, where the demand on them isn't so intense. The ones that aren't useful to us, we wipe of info and sell for $25 each, which may or may not include a monitor and peripherals. 

You might consider donating them to a local non-profit - children's center, senior center, MichiganWorks! (?), and/or community center/outreach center. Check with your local funders, too, like United Way and/or a community foundation. They may take them or be able to point you in the direction of someone that could use them. There's always churches and other faith institutions that would love a newer computer, too. We see a lot still running XP or Vista. 

This would also be a great opportunity to partner with them, if you can and aren't already, for tech programs, like computer and resume skills, setting up emails, safety online, keeping your computer healthy, talking about the databases, etc. 

Good luck! I'm looking forward to hearing what responses you get. 

Last time we had working machines we donated them to our cooperative and they passed them on to other libraries in need. Also, I believe Staples recycles electronics for free. You'll want to contact your local store, but here is the webpage regarding recycling. 

[ https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/sustainability-center/recycling-services/electronics/ | https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/sustainability-center/recycling-services/electronics/ ] 

Don Priest 
Southgate Veterans Memorial Library 
14680 Dix-Toledo Rd. 
Southgate, MI 48195 
734-258-3002 ext. 3003 
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