1207. Getting Rid of Electronic Equipment

I have a bunch of electronic equipment that I’d like to get rid of. Some is certainly usable and sellable, and some is just old junk. How can I get rid of this stuff? I have user laser printer cartridges, mice, computers, a laptop or two. It’s just taking up space in my garage.

If you think the item has some value, you can start by trying to sell it. The following Web sites can help:

• http://www.craigslist.com
• http://www.ebay.com
• http://www.amazon.com (Amazon.com provides the simplest means of selling items, but you can only sell things that they already have a listing for--that is, items that have part numbers and SKU's. But if you're trying to sell a name-brand item, it doesn't get any easier. Ken has sold many items this way. He’s not getting rich off the profits, but it does help recycle used stuff and books.)

If you can't sell, you can try recycling. Our local dump does e-waste recycling, Some schools use e-waste recycling as a fund raiser for the schools once or twice a year, and this is an excellent opportunity to clear your garage and help a school.

On a daily basis, if you just want to drop off something and get rid of it, like a printer cartridge, printer, monitor, or computer, Rod’s Computer Service at 146 Scandling Ave in Grass Valley can take care of that for you. They have a contract to handle e-waste and can take anything that is part of a computer system and recycle it for you. We take stuff there all the time. (There are other recycling centers as well—Rod’s just happens to be the one we use, and the location is really convenient.)

Whatever you do, do not put electronic waste into your normal trash collection. Not only are you throwing money away, you're also polluting the trash stream—electronic equipment is full of harmful chemicals and materials. Contemplate selling or recycling appropriately!

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