Millions of tons of e-waste are disposed of each year, but much of that is not waste at all. In fact, much of it is recyclable or reusable. Due to the fact that many electronics include hazardous materials, it is important avoid throwing them in the dumpster because of the long-term impact on the environment. Here are some ideas to help you purge old tech from your smart office:
Donate to charity – Donate your working office equipment to a local non-profit or school. Non-profits often spend years with the same equipment, so newer equipment is welcome. You can even use this donation as a tax deduction, with approval from your tax preparer, of course.
Offer equipment to your employees – Give equipment that you no longer use to your team. Not only can this be a morale booster, they may find a use in their own home, for a child in school, or provide it to a friend or neighbor.
Sell it online – There’s market for most everything on eBay and Craigslist. With eBay, you have the benefit of seeing the price at which similar products sold. On Craigslist, you have the benefit of selling to someone local without having to worry about shipping costs. Have a mobile device or tablet to sell? Try Swappa—an online, peer-to-peer sales network for selling mobile devices.
Check with the manufacturer – Many manufacturers offer free recycling programs to return equipment that you no longer use. Both Apple and Dell, for example, offer mail-back recycling programs. Some will even pay you to return equipment with monetary value—especially more recent models.
Seek out a local vendor or e-recycling drive – Major retailers like Target and Best Buy have recycling programs. You may also find that a local computer vendor offers a recycling service. Check with your local environmental management agency to learn more about e-recycling drives, especially for recycling old televisions and monitors that contain cathode ray tubes.
Do you have tips to purge old office equipment from your farm office? Tell me about it in the comments below, on Twitter @nerdsquawk or via email at [email protected].
The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Penton Agriculture.
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