disposal of computers
EDTECH Editor-Jones
Hi! I teach in Spartanburg County, South Carolina,
and have been a member of this ListServ since
January--thanks for all your many great ideas and
suggestions!
Question: How do your districts dispose of old
computers? Does anyone know of a recycling action for
monitors?
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SIGNOFF EDTECH
EDTECH Editor-Jones
One of our schools has a recycling day each year, it is done through a
grant. If you need more information click on this link.
http://www.rhodes.k12.il.us/recycle.html
Lance Ramsay
www.icss.com
EDTECH Editor-Jones
Our district auctions off old computers. They sell them in in groups.
They hold auctions every so often and you bid on a pallet. You may end up
buying 10 computers and have only 1 work. The auctions are open to the
public and you can come inspect things before you bid, but none of the
computers are plugged in so you really are on your own.
Alice Scammel
Teacher/Tech Coordinator/District Trainer
North Hi Mount Elementary
3801 W. 7th St.
Phone:817-377-7280
as...@ftworth.isd.tenet.edu
"Technology will never replace teachers, but teachers who use technology
will replace those who do not"
EDTECH Editor-Jones
Janet,
We give them to middle school students who don't have a computer at home. We
use high school students to refurbish and deliver them.
John Gregory
Technology Manager
Livingston School District
jgre...@livingston.k12.mt.us
EDTECH Editor-Jones
Don't dispose. Donate.
John Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Coordinator, Educational Computing & Multidisciplinary Studies Programs
Computer Information Systems Department
208 Chase Hall . Buffalo State College
1300 Elmwood Avenue . Buffalo, NY 14222
(716) 878-3531 . thom...@buffalostate.edu
http://www.buffalostate.edu/depts/edcomputing/
http://www.buffalostate.edu/graduatestudies/multi/
"Thought and theory must precede all salutary action;
yet action is nobler in itself than either thought or theory."
~ William Wadsworth
EDTECH Editor-Jones
At what point do you stop doing this though? If a district/school is taking
out 5 and 6 year old computers, who do you donate them to? If you've
actually stayed legal and maintained proper licensing on these, then you
want to transfer the license(s) to a new machine. So do you donate a 5 year
old machine with no operating system or usable software? Most folks wanting
a machine this old can't afford to put the stuff back on.
If you donate them to folks within your district, how do you not become tech
support for them?
Just asking, because everyone says just donate them. I don't think that's
always the "easiest" solution.
Chris Freeman
Technology Coordinator
Vestavia Hills City Schools
> Don't dispose. Donate.
EDTECH Editor-Jones
Prior to disposing of computers/monitors, you may want to look into
freecycle.org.
It is a great site that allows you to offer items that you no longer use
to others who may want them. There are freecycle groups located throughout
the country. The goal is to prevent items from going into landfills.
Hope this helps.
Melani
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
We donate the computers with Windows 98 installed complete with license. We
install Star Office for word processing and spreadsheet functions.
Donating computers is not the easiest option by any means. The easiest
option is to toss them in the trash.
Tech support is an issue. I usually refer people to students who are
available for hire on the cheap.
John Gregory
Technology Manager
Livingston School District
jgre...@livingston.k12.mt.us
School district folks awaiting my help can check my schedule by clicking on
the link below
http://www.livingston.k12.mt.us/users/jgregory
x- From: Chris Freeman <CFre...@vestavia.k12.al.us>
>
> At what point do you stop doing this though? If a district/school is
taking
> out 5 and 6 year old computers, who do you donate them to? If you've
> actually stayed legal and maintained proper licensing on these, then you
> want to transfer the license(s) to a new machine. So do you donate a 5
year
> old machine with no operating system or usable software? Most folks
wanting
> a machine this old can't afford to put the stuff back on.
>
> If you donate them to folks within your district, how do you not become
tech
> support for them?
>
> Just asking, because everyone says just donate them. I don't think that's
> always the "easiest" solution.
---
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
I absolutely agree with Chris' statement. We are lucky that we have a
local agency that recycles comptuers for schools. Even so, our school
board would rather I donate them to families/students in our areas. I have
had to repeat my position to them time and again for exactly the reasons
Chris gave and the fact that I don't have enough time to reformat the
machines, clean off student files, etc. And our machines have network
cards but not modems, so that's another expense if they want interent
access. And I rarely have a printer to donate, so they can't print, etc.
Michelle
Michelle Walker, Librarian
Hamilton Union High School
Hamilton Union Elementary School
Hamilton City, CA 95951
(530) 826-3261 phone
(530) 826-0440 fax
mwa...@glenncoe.org
http://www.glenn-co.k12.ca.us/ham-hs/library.html
EDTECH Editor-Jones
The easiest option is not to throw them computers in the trash, it is the
laziest or perhaps least wise...
Disposing of computers in the trash causes a great amount of toxic chemicals to
be released in the atmosphere. As an example:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/06/0621_pccleanup.html
"Those that are not stored in garages or attics are sometimes dumped in the
trash. Since each computer monitor contains up to 8 pounds of lead, monitors
can pose a serious health hazard if the lead leaches into the soil."
You have the opportunity to throw computers in the trash and potentially future
generations or perhaps have them disposed of overseas
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.texasenvironment.org/e-
waste/graphics/guiya_3.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.texasenvironment.org/e-
waste/guiya_china.htm&h=228&w=302&sz=36&tbnid=6vQHx26qNbwJ:&tbnh=84&tbnw=111&sta
rt=46&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcomputers%2Bwaste%26start%3D40%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%
3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN and harm people there.
How about talking to your local waste agency...every city, county, state has
them, and find alternatives. In Chicago pentium or above computers can be
reused by schools (see www.pcsforschools.org), or there are local computer
waste collection days.
Also talk to Dell about recycling your
computerhttp://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling?
c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs. For a minimal cost they will do that.
If this is the edtech list remember our responsibility is education, educate
responsibly.
Cheers,
Tracy Hubbard
tlhu...@uiuc.edu
Tracy Hubbard
tlhu...@uiuc.edu
EDTECH Editor-Jones
In Wisconsin there is a program that you can donate computer equipment to
the prison system - they have a program where inmates refurbish them. Our
CESA agency serves as central collection point (one scheduled day a semi
is there to load equipment onto). Perhaps other states have similar
programs.
Becky Hooker
Educational Technology Coordinator
La Farge School District
608-625-0142
hoo...@lafarge.k12.wi.us