Trading Up

The green way to get rid of your old computer

Sooner or later, you are going to need a new computer. While the prospect fills me with dread (I’m not the most technically proficient person you’ll ever meet), I’m also worried about what to do with the old one. According to Earth911.org, almost 2 million tons of e-waste went to landfills in 2005. It’s not just the landfill space that should give you pause before you head to the dumpster: that mysterious box you’re trying to clear off your desk contains small amounts of mercury, lead and cadmium. Rather than take a chance on having that end up in soil or the water supply, check out one of the other many options below.

Give it Away
For a worth cause
RECONNECT is a partnership between Goodwill Industries and Dell. Find a nearby participating Goodwill store and drop off your computer. It will be reused or recycled (or “de-manufactured”) in an environmentally friendly manner. If the computer is operable it will be cleared of stored information and sold at Goodwill’s Computer Works store located at 2913 Freedom Drive in Charlotte. Systems not sold there will be sold to vendors. Get a receipt, because it may be tax deductible!

To a friend
Our older computer works well and, once I get it in my car to deliver it, will end up as a PC for my friend’s daughter. Think about any families that you know that might benefit from a computer for homework, etc. Hand-me-downs weren’t nearly so cool when I was a kid!

Recycle It
Dell will recycle your old PC or laptop for free, even if it isn’t their product, if you’re buying a Dell system. Apple and Gateway have similar programs. Consumer Reports gives a good overview of all the major manufacturers’ recycling programs in E-market Watch at Greener Choices.

Trade It In
Costco takes everything a little further with a trade-in program that will accept any brand of electronic equipment, including PCs, digital cameras, camcorders, game systems and MP3 Players. The program is open to members only. An on-line wizard lets you calculate the trade-in value of your item, and you get a Costco Cash Card in that amount. There is, of course, a little more to it than that but not much based on their web site. I didn’t go through the calculator because I’m hoping I won’t need it for a long, long time! But it’s a great opportunity to do the right thing and get paid for it!

While You’re At It
Recycling Ink Cartridges
There are a lot of options for recycling your ink and toner. Dell will recycle Dell ink and toner. Staples, Best Buy and other stores have a variety of programs. Get a list specific to your area at Earth911.org by typing in your zip code.


Resources and Digging Deeper
· DeFore, John. “Costco Helps Recycle Electronics”. GreenRightNow.com. 18 December 2007.
· Wolf, Alan. “Office Depot, Costco, DSI Launch Recycling, Trade-In Programs”. TWICE: This Week In Consumer Electronics. 19 November 2007.
· “Reuse Electronics Through Donation”. Earth911.org. 25 January 2008.
· “IBM Me Up, Scotty.” Grist.org. 08 August 2005.
· “Apple Releases First Mercury-Free Laptop”. Earth911.org. 15 January 2008.

One More Time…
Revisiting Past Topics

In January, Whole Foods announced they will eliminate plastic grocery bags in their stores by Earth Day 2008 (April 22nd). The paper bags they will be using instead (for those customers that don’t BYOB), are 100% recycled. No word yet on whether or not any of our local chains will follow suit!

A Trip on the Light Rail

We had a chance to try out the Lynx Blue Line this weekend. We parked at the South Blvd station and road all the way to 7th Street in Center City, by Imaginon. There were bumps and glitches, with long lines, ticketing machines that didn’t work and a couple of unexplained (and very sudden) stops between stations. I never did figure out why the train doors closed, and opened, and closed again at the 7th Street station. But I was glad they did, since that meant we were able to make the train versus waiting for the next one (which was coming 20 minutes later).

But overall, we really enjoyed it. It seems promising, although for us, it’s not yet a practical mode of transportation. We only travel to Center City on weekends, and in the time it takes us to drive to the nearest station, we could almost have driven the full distance to uptown in our car. If there was a station closer, we would probably use it only occasionally for weekend ventures. But for someone who happens to live relatively close to a station, and works somewhere along the designated stops, I could see a practical application. Like I said, this was all new for me.

In our case, it was a fun weekend activity – a novelty. But for serious riders that are using it as a regular mode of transportation there are still kinks to work out. The machines will accept credit cards in the future, which will hopefully help those long lines at the machines (having them all actually giving correct change would help too). From my “newbie” perspective, it’s a pretty cool weekend mini-adventure. But to really be practical and make any kind of impact on traffic throughout Charlotte, there would have to be more lines, which of course are in the planning stages now. I suppose time will tell how much the light rail impacts Charlotte. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in going, you can check out the CATS site for information about fares and schedules. Happy riding!