moore's law.

ah. the smell of new technology. there's ain't nothing like it. since i'm often the "go-to" person in our family for technology issues, so it was no surprise that my sister asked me where she could get rid of her old mac.

my first thought was "don't throw it away!" the epa estimates that "...over 20 million personal computers became obsolete in 1998 and only 13% were reused or recycled."¹ stats like that give me the heebie-jeebies! here are some ideas for donating your computer.

first, check with your local school (or even pre-school), nursing home or rehab hospital to see if they might be able to use your computer. unfortunately, so many of these facilities are under-funded and often can't squeeze anything else out of their budget. a new computer — even an older one — would be welcomed.

if you'd rather donate to a charity, a simple google search provided me with a plethora of donation options, including the following.

share the technology. this is basically a (little on the homespun end) online bulletin board where you can post your pentium pc, mac powerpc or better. individuals with disabilities, public and private schools, religious organizations and nonprofits can then search for equipment and contact you if interested. 

recycles.org. the same idea as share the technology, but they accept all equipment, so get out your old apple ii.

national cristina foundation also matches your equipment with those in need, focusing on people with disabilities, students at risk and those who are economically disadvantaged. the organization contacts one of their pre-screened partner organizations in your area. you can then ship your equipment or drop it off at a designated location. this organization serves national and international needs.

youth for technology organization. this non-profit focuses on bringing technology to africa. in addition to computers, they will accept lcd projectors, white boards, office supplies, fax machines, file cabinets, furniture, scanners, digital cameras, standing fans, air conditioners and software. donation instructions are under "support ytf" on their site. 

before you donate, evaluate charities here.

and make sure you wipe your drive before donating.

if you know of an organization or other way to recycle your computer, please post a comment.

1 . earth 911, "e-waste & the environment," earth 911, http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=electronics/elec_ewaste.asp (accessed 27 february 2006).

tags: computers. environment. recycling. green living.