Where Do Old PCs Go When They Die? A Guide to Making Them Useful

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No matter how good you are to your machine, how careful you are about protecting it from viruses, how many times you do routine maintenance your machine will die. It may happen in two months or it may happen in five years, but don’t kid yourself. It will happen eventually. What will you do with it then? This article offers some useful ideas, not just for your PC but other electronic devices as well.

When our old PCs die, most of us only think about the machine that will replace it.  We start assessing our computing wants and needs.  We read reviews on different models.  We even begin to comparison shop the web to get the best deal possible. 

While that may be a very pragmatic mindset, since it gets you back to work as soon as possible, maybe you should take a few seconds to consider the fate of your old machine.  After all, it did serve you faithfully for all of those years.  It deserves to be given more consideration then an unceremonious dump in the trash bin. 

That is why today we are going to look at things that you can do with your old machine to make it useful again.  The odds are that not all of these options will be right for you, but if only one of them is, then you have a way to save your old machine from a trip to the lovely and scenic municipal landfill. 

While we are talking about the local landfill, let’s talk for just for a second about what will become of your machine if you choose to simply throw it away.

Some Facts About Your PC in a Landfill

• Over 3,000 tons of electronic waste, or E-waste as it is often called, are dumped in landfills each day.
  
• According to the EPA, unwanted electronic devices were responsible for about two million tons of waste in landfills in 2005.
  
• The U.S. National Safety Council estimates that about 75 percent of all personal computers that were ever sold  to consumers are now gathering dust as surplus electronics, either in a landfill or in private homes.
  
• Many parts of a dead computer can be used again. The plastics can be used for road fill. The metal shavings can be recycled as a cover for solid waste.

Now that you know why you should do something about your system's fate, let’s take a look at some of your choices for giving your machine a better life after it has served you.

Next: Option One: Donate It >>
 

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