A computer no doubt tops the holiday

wish list of many families this year. But a new PC, like new clothing or new cooking equipment, means that for many consumers the older goods now become obsolete and have to be disposed of.

There are three reasons why finding the appropriate way to discard old computer equipment is important:

- In the U.S., 63.3 million computer desktops will be taken out of service this coming year alone, according to the National Safety Council and the EPA. 85 percent of them will end up in landfills across the country, constituting an ever-growing environmental hazard.

- Each computer dumped in a landfill is a missed opportunity to provide people affected by the digital divide with tools to participate in the Information Age.

- Donate computers to a recycler or refurbisher, rather than directly to a school or nonprofit. Out-of-date computer systems can be more of a burden than a blessing to these organizations, as it costs them up to $400 to bring a computer below Pentium level up to today's standards.

This year, CompuMentor (www.compumentor.org), a provider of technology assistance to other nonprofits, is working with Microsoft Corporation to help consumers with properly donating or recycling computer equipment to benefit both society and the environment.

About

CompuMentor's Ten Tips for Donating A Computer

1. Determine if your old computer can be re-used. If you have a computer that is less then five years old, chances are that refurbishers will be happy to accept it. Computer refurbishers accept disposed equipment and fix it up so that others can use it. Refurbishers work with newer disposed equipment, usually Pentium-level computers and up that can run current Internet programs. If your old computer is more than five years old, it will be the best to recycle it. For listings of refurbishers, please visit: - TechSoup

2. Recycle old and broken PC equipment. Any equipment that is not working or that is below Pentium or Mac Power PC-level should be earmarked for recycling. Recyclers are businesses or organizations that remove useful parts and then break down the rest of the materials as we do with bottles and cans. This also includes the safe removal of hazardous materials. Note: Some of these organizations may charge a fee to accept old PC's and equipment for recycling - especially computer monitors. For listings of recyclers, please visit: - TechSoup

3. Contact the refurbisher/recycler before donating. It will save you time if you contact a recycling/refurbishing organization before you drop off your computer. Donation criteria vary among organizations. Some refurbishing organizations, for example, do not accept anything older than a Pentium or Pentium II. Call them in advance or check for details on their Web site to ensure that the organization accepts the type of computer you plan to give away. You may be inclined to donate equipment directly to a favorite local school or charity. However, refurbishers are generally better equipped to repair and upgrade computers. They then pass on ready-to-use equipment to nonprofits, schools and the low-income population at low or no cost.

4. Remember the accessories. Don't forget about the keyboard, mouse, printer, modem, packaged software or any of your about-to-be-retired PC's accessories. Schools and charitable organizations can almost always put them to good use. Most organizations only accept complete systems.

5. If possible, keep the operating system intact. It is required by law to leave the operating system and current license loaded on a donated computer. And, since charitable organizations usually cannot afford to purchase and license new operating systems, the legal transfer can go a long way.

6. Provide original media and documentation. It's helpful to have the original disks, media and documentation that came with the PC when it was purchased. Include the proof of license, which will help ensure the legal transfer of the operating system.

7. Delete personal information. Information that should be deleted before donating includes cookies, email, personal applications, temporary Internet files, etc. If the PC is still under a manufacturer's warranty, the owner can call the company's technical services and ask for specifics on how to delete personal files.

8. Follow PC delivery instructions. Many recycling/refurbishing organizations will have specific locations where a PC can be donated, while others have delivery instructions they expect donors to follow.

9. Keep a list of what you donated for your records. Remember that tax season is right around the corner. A tax advisor can determine what donations are deductible. Most organizations can provide a tax receipt upon request.

10. Plan for future donations. Out of the pile of accumulated holiday cardboard, spare one box from the recycling bin and use it to store the documents that came with the new PC. When the time comes around to donate your new PC, everything will be in one place.

For more information visit TechSoup or post a question to the message boards at http://techsoup.coolboard.com/category.cfm?oid=605537432148

Additional Resources: Refurbishers: Among the refurbishers are several organizations that not only accept computer donations, but also rebuild and redistribute them. Goodwill Industries (800-664-6577 or www.goodwill.org) resell computers to the general public and also use them in their community computer centers. Other groups, such as Computers for Schools (http://wwwnt.thegroup.net/detwiler/), Perscholas (http://www.perscholas.org/) and the National Christina Foundation (http://www.cristina.org/), specialize in placing refurbished computers in educational and non-profit organizations.

Recyclers: Several organizations, such as Midwest Computer Recyclers in Milwaukee (http://www.dead-computers.com/contact/), the Computer Recycling Center (http://www.crc.org/) in San Francisco, and PCDisposal.com (http://pcdisposal.com/) in Kansas City accept donations and make sure equipment is disposed of properly.

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