What do you do with old computers?

[Dave2002]

The rate of technological change is such that some of us buy new computers every few years - say 3-4 years, and this includes laptops. There are usually sound reasons for buying the new ones, but the old ones often still function, allbeit usually rather more slowly.

Should one simply trash them - put them out with the rubbish, or use them in other ways?

There are several things one can do, such as using the older machines as music servers, or as some other form of server - e.g a file cache server on a network, but I suspect that most people will find this slightly challenging, and in any case they may take up space and even in their new roles they may not function particularly well.

So, should we just send them to landfill, or store them in the hope that a future use will be found - which may still end up with landfill being the ultimate destination in a few years -and they will take up storage space before they are dumped, or try to use them? One might say "pass them on", but this seems cruel as often the reason for purchasing a new one is because the older ones have soome basic flaws which would be just as annoying to a new owner as the old one.

Maybe these really are throw away devices!

[Bryn]

Is it still legal to simply send them to landfill? I thought we were now obliged to make them available for recycling.

[hedgehog]

You can donate: http://www.computeraid.org/individual-donations.asp

If you look further on the site you will find that the issues of data destruction are well attended to. Schools for blind students in Ethiopia take computers without monitors!

[MrGongGong]

The Redundant Technology Initiative in Sheffield have been doing interesting things as well

http://www.lowtech.org/

[Anna]

I hadn't realised, until I recently bought a new printer, that retailers now have to operate a disposal scheme, this is from the Environment Agency website:
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Regulations (WEEE Regulations) affect retailers and other distributors who sell electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

If they're selling EEE to the public, retailers will have to ensure that their customers can return their WEEE free of charge. This will be on a one-for-one basis, as long as the new equipment is of a similar type and has the same function as the old equipment.

Alternatively if you put WEEE + computer + where you live into google it'll come up with lots of firms who operate legal disposal, local Council tips have to be licensed to accept, not all are. But, unless the computer is completely defunct it's better to go for recycling, loads of organisations are crying out for IT equipment.

[Dave2002]

Is it still legal to simply send them to landfill? I thought we were now obliged to make them available for recycling.

I suppose technically yes [I mean to send them for recycling. Landfill option may not be legal now]. Our local dumps have sections for electrical and electronic equipment. I suspect that they are simply broken down.

I think our collection service also now collects electrical equipment if put into appropriate bags - a very recent innovation.

Sending for re-use to places like Africa is also possible, but may require more effort. Is it fair to inflict a poorly running system on anyone, even in another country?!!!

The effort of removing all private data may also be considerable, and a deterrent to quick disposal. Some people smash their hard drives. It is foolish to send computers with intact drives to dumps, as the data may (is actually rather likely to ....) end up in the hands of some disreputable people in other countries.

[hedgehog]

Sending for re-use to places like Africa is also possible, but may require more effort. Is it fair to inflict a poorly running system on anyone, even in another country?!!!

The effort of removing all private data may also be considerable, and a deterrent to quick disposal. Some people smash their hard drives. It is foolish to send computers with intact drives to dumps, as the data may (is actually rather likely to ....) end up in the hands of some disreputable people in other countries.

I can assure you that old computers are welcome and put to good use in Ethiopia - the institution where I work has been involved in such a scheme and has visited the schools there.
As for data - well a deep low level format does make it quite difficult to retrieve data - though not impossible. I think people use this as an excuse just to destroy and throw things out.
I can't find the article now, but I did read quite recently that most data has been phished anyway, despite firewalls & etc, that these nasty individuals in other countries are getting swamped by their own petard. If one changes all passwords on getting a new computer, bank passes & etc are renewed each year so info there is soon out of date (and has already been gleaned elsewhere onlne) - well really I don't have much stuff on my computer that anyone can make much money out of

[hedgehog]

Sending for re-use to places like Africa is also possible, but may require more effort. Is it fair to inflict a poorly running system on anyone, even in another country?!!!

The effort of removing all private data may also be considerable, and a deterrent to quick disposal. Some people smash their hard drives. It is foolish to send computers with intact drives to dumps, as the data may (is actually rather likely to ....) end up in the hands of some disreputable people in other countries.

I can assure you that old computers are welcome and put to good use in Ethiopia - the institution where I work has been involved in such a scheme and has visited the schools there.
As for data - well a deep low level format does make it quite difficult to retrieve data - though not impossible. I think people use this as an excuse just to destroy and throw things out.
I can't find the article now, but I did read quite recently that most data has been phished anyway, despite firewalls & etc, that these nasty individuals in other countries are getting swamped by their own petard. If one changes all passwords on getting a new computer, bank passes & etc are renewed each year so info there is soon out of date (and has already been gleaned elsewhere onlne) - well really I don't have much stuff on my computer that anyone can make much money out of

[Ferretfancy]

I've just replaced my Apple Time Machine backup device after about five years of use. Since it contains the entire contents of my iMac I'm reluctant just to throw it away, but the problem is that it's built like a tank and there are no screws or bolts holding it together. If I want to destroy the hard disc I'll have to put it into the Workmate and take a hammer and chisel to it.

[hedgehog]

It is of course up to each individual to determine how valuable the information on their harddisk really is. What I'm trying to get at is that statistically I think that people on the lookout for "useful" information from computers wouldn't be looking at individual people's computers and the charities themselves are obliged to maintain security standards.

Overnight erasing 30 times plus a low level formatting really will scramble it up - it's not like there is a magic machine that just retrieves the information at the blink of an eyelid - it takes a lot of time - will they bother with yours? I am very rigorous with my debit card however - it's on a very low limit which I increase online just before a purchase and then reduce just after, not entirely foolproof, but it helps. Same with my credit card which I use more like a debit card anyway.

[Dave2002]

I can't find the article now, but I did read quite recently that most data has been phished anyway, despite firewalls & etc, that these nasty individuals in other countries are getting swamped by their own petard. If one changes all passwords on getting a new computer, bank passes & etc are renewed each year so info there is soon out of date (and has already been gleaned elsewhere onlne) - well really I don't have much stuff on my computer that anyone can make much money out of

I think even some companies which we may think are helpful and useful to us are doing some dodgy things. Yesterday I thought of buying some of the CDs on offer at the ArkivMusik site, where there are currently good deals - see Bargain thread. I've not had dealings with ArkivMusik before, so I had to register. As I did this, a whole lot of details were filled in automatically, including my address etc. and I had not set up my computer to do that. Then I realised I was using Chrome. Perhaps Google really is evil, after all. Where had the data come from? Google knows!

I feel sure that Frances will feel vindicated.

[kernelbogey]

My local recycling HQ has sections for loads of different things, including old computers, to prevent them going to landfill and reports regularly on 80%+ recycling rates. I imagined that the computers are shipped off to a developing country where they fillet them for parts that still work. I'l find out, out of curiosity.

A friend gave me a phone number, a few years back, for a charity that recycles complete computers and sends them to developing countries. The one I offered, they said when I called, was now so out of date that they weren't accepting them any more !

[Dave2002]

You can donate: http://www.computeraid.org/individual-donations.asp

If you look further on the site you will find that the issues of data destruction are well attended to. Schools for blind students in Ethiopia take computers without monitors!

One of my previous computers was considered so old by one of the organisations I contacted that they wouldn't take it. It wasn't THAT old, worked, and was probably quite a bit better than some of the computers I have used in the past. I think they want Windows 7, flat screen displays, at least a Core Duo processor .... I jest, but only just.

[hedgehog]

I guess there may be a difference between getting ±40 computers from an institution or business than from individuals - they will be looking at the possible future life of the thing weighed up against shipping etc. It's always worth asking though and different organizations may want different things, one can only try. Certainly at depots where computers are collected separately they are recycled for at least the metals in them as well as toxic stuff being taken out.

My old laptops I've passed on to my mother and to my sister - they only wanted to e-mail (POP not via a browser) and (sister) type texts and do some photoshop/printing of own photographs. These machines will continue to do that for them most probably for a fews years yet - until I want to get another new laptop

[JFLL]

I hadn't realised, until I recently bought a new printer, that retailers now have to operate a disposal scheme, this is from the Environment Agency website:
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Regulations (WEEE Regulations) affect retailers and other distributors who sell electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

If they're selling EEE to the public, retailers will have to ensure that their customers can return their WEEE free of charge. This will be on a one-for-one basis, as long as the new equipment is of a similar type and has the same function as the old equipment. ......

We were talking about these WEEE regulatons chez JFLL last night. What if you've bought a computer at a small retailer in Cornwall and move to the north of Scotland? Or bought it at Comet, who seem to be on the way out? Or bought it online? (Can you return it to Amazon?) Not to mention the stipulation 'of a similar type and [with] the same function as the old equipment'. Returning an item to the retailer at which you bought it often isn't a viable option, I'd have thought.