The typical personal computer contains a lot of stuff that you simply would not want in a landfill. They almost always contain quite a bit of plastic which will never biodegrade, steel, and a number of heavy metals which definitely do not belong in the landfill, or more importantly the water supply. So when you buy a new computer, what do you do with the old one? Do you just let it sit in your closet for the next 30 years until it’s an antique and has some real value again? Fortunately there are better solutions for you to get rid of your old computer today.

Perhaps the easiest way to get rid of your computer is to find someone in your life that can make better use of it than you are. Perhaps you have a parent that just needs a basic computer to check email, or perhaps a neighbor kid that might be able to use a computer for their school work. Ask around at work, church, and your circle of friends if any of them would have a use for your old computer before you consider recycling it or donating it to another organization. It’ll be a lot easier to do, and you’ll see the use directly.

If you can’t find an individual that can make better use of your computer, you can contact your local Salvation Army or Goodwill and ask if they accept computer equipment. Some of their chapters do, but not all of them. If your computer equipment is more than three years old, they probably will not take it since it’s out of date. Just call ahead before bringing it in and see whether or not they’ll take them.

In the event that you can’t find away to donate your computer to someone who can make better use of it, you can pay IBM or Hewlett-Packard to recycle your computer for you. IBM will charge you $30.00 and either recycle your computer for the materials inside it, or refurbish it and give it to Gifts in Kind International. HP will charge anywhere from $13.00 to $34.00 to recycle your computer. These rates include the cost of shipping your computer as well. It’s certainly not free, but $30.00 is a small price to pay to be sure that your computer won’t be dumped overseas into a body of water that’s used for drinking water!

Don’t just throw out your computer into a dumpster when you’re done with it. Find a way to put it to good use, or use a recycling service to make sure that your computer is disposed of properly.