Hardware Tips: Is There Gold in Your Attic? Cash In Your Old PC
Three ways to get a little more value--or use--out of a system you don't want anymore.
Kirk Steers
Recycle It
If your old PC doesn't qualify for a trade-in or donation, recycle it. Computers, monitors, and peripherals contain lead, mercury, and other nasty chemicals that demand special handling. Throwing your system in the trash is not only a very bad idea, it may also be illegal: California and Massachusetts are among the states that have enacted laws prohibiting the disposal of a CRT monitor in a landfill.
If you're buying a new PC or printer, see if the manufacturer offers free recycling; Dell currently includes a coupon for free recycling with each PC or printer. Click here for details.
Dell, HP, and IBM will recycle computer products from any manufacturer for a fee ranging from $10 to $34 (see the chart below). For information on free and low-cost recycling alternatives, check the Web sites of the Electronic Industries Alliance and the National Recycling Coalition.
Click here for past Hardware Tips columns. Send your tips and questions to kirk_steers@pcworld.com. We pay $50 for published items. Kirk Steers is a PC World contributing editor.
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