How to Recycle Your PC

With newer and faster personal computers hitting the market, it's no wonder most of us trade up to a new PC every three years. But what should you do with your aging Apple or idle IBM? Here are some useful tips on Why? How? and Where? to recycle your puttering PC.
Q. Why can't you just throw away an old PC?
A. Personal computers contain "heavy metals" inside their cases which are highly toxic to the environment. If they're ground up, crushed or burnt in incinerators, they expose elements including lead, phosphorus, cadmium and mercury to the air and our water.

Q: What's the most toxic part of an old PC in terms of hazardous waste?
A. The typical CRT computer monitor contains four to six pounds of lead! You should NEVER throw an old monitor in the trash. ALWAYS recycle computer monitors.

Q. If you donate your old PC, does that qualify for a tax deduction?
A. Only if you donate it to a charitable organization. If you just give it to an individual such as family or friends, you can't deduct it from your taxes.

Q. If someone wants to find a good home for their PC, what's the first step they should take?
A. You should absolutely erase your hard drive before giving your PC to another user. Passwords, credit card information, and all sorts of personal data are stored on a PC's hard drive, and simply deleting those files won't permanently erase that data. Reformatting the drive will erase the data, and Norton Utilities has a program called WipeDisk that will prevent even the most pizza-faced hackers from recovering your personal files.

Q. OK, I want to donate or recycle my PC. What do I do now?
A. There are some wonderful resources on the Web:

Share the Technology, which connects computer donors and non-profit organizations throughout the country.

PEP -- Parents, Educators, and Publishers, which offers a state, national and international directory of agencies that facilitate donations of used computer hardware for schools and community groups.

National Recycling Coalition, a searchable database of recyclers, reuse organizations, and municipal programs that accept old electronic equipment.