The rapid pace of advances in technology is making computers become outdated and obsolete at an increasingly faster rate. This trend is formally known as Moore’s Law, and it basically explains a situation that is familiar with all consumers of personal computing devices: as new technologies in computer science improve at a rather fast clip, many PCs and other staples of consumer electronics are being thrown into oblivion every 18 to 24 months. While this rapid cycle of advancement bodes well for the fields of science research and Information Technology (IT), it also presents a negative implication as used computers and other languishing hardware accumulate and are improperly discarded.

Recycling used computers is the answer to the hardware obsolescence caused by Moore’s Law. When it comes to recycling old and used computers, several solutions are available to the consumer. How a used computer is properly disposed of is largely left up to the consumer, and to this extent it is very important that a computer user is aware of how the different options extend the life of a computer. Some of the recycling options involve a cash reward, while others focus on “green” or ecologically-friendly disposal methods. There’s also repurposing, whereby the useful life of personal computing hardware is extended.

Computer Donations

If a used computer or laptop is in reasonable good shape, but it just can’t keep up with the demands of the fast-changing IT paradigms, donating an old clunker to charity can give it a new lease in life. Non-profit organizations that accept old computers utilize different recycling methods. Some disassemble the equipment to salvage parts which can be installed in other computers or sold to third-party dealers. Other organizations ship the equipment to schools that teach computer science subject. Computers can also be sent to developing nations as charitable donations. Read the rest of this entry »