Out with the old
We got a new computer last week, and there was quite a bit of e-junk to dispose of from the old setup. And so, taking the advice of commenters on this blog a while back, today I headed down to Free Geek on SE Tenth Avenue, just a couple of blocks south of Hawthorne, here in Portland. These folks clean up old tech hardware and give it to nonprofits and others who can't afford new stuff. What can't be re-used, they dispose of responsibly.
Let me tell you, they aren't wasting any money on fancy digs. It's, shall we say, Spartan. And they hit you up for a donation as they take the outmoded gear off your hands. This seems to be the order of the day at many nonprofit thrift stores and similar operations these days -- they get you coming and they get you going. But hey, it's all for a good cause. A computer's about as essential as a toaster nowadays -- maybe even more so -- and everybody who wants one should have one. And if you can keep the castoffs out of the landfill for a while longer, it's worth it.
| Posted at 6:40 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (7)
Well, if they can't sell the parts, they do have to pay to recycle them. Monitors, especially, are expensive to get rid of...
Posted by no one in particular | October 28, 2006 7:48 PM
Yep. The $10 "donation" to have them take your monitor is mandatory. And given how cool the new ones are -- I have major monitor envy of my wife and daughters now -- I can't imagine the old ones would sell, even at the Free Geek $10 thrift store price.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 28, 2006 9:02 PM
Did Jack get a Mac?
Posted by Dave W | October 28, 2006 9:15 PM
Congratulations on the new Mac!
Posted by skyview satellite | October 28, 2006 9:29 PM
What's a "Mac"?
8c)
Posted by Jack Bog | October 28, 2006 9:48 PM
And now you know where to go if a wall charger power supply fails or you accidentally break a wire on your computer speakers. (ask me how I know)
Leigh
From our bunker near the Lloyd Center
Posted by ConcordBridge | October 28, 2006 11:25 PM
Even Metro will charge you $10 to recycle the monitor when you bring them to the recycle events.
FREE GEEK also wipes out your hard drive so you don't have to worry about that falling in to the wrong hands.
They have such a great program there where any kid can get a computer if they rebuild 9 computers that are donated to non-profits all over the world loaded with Linnix software, the kid gets the 10th computer.
Thanks for donating and mentioning them.
Posted by Swimmer | October 29, 2006 6:50 AM