I’ve got a bunch of old electronics and computer parts, everything from cables to speakers to CD drives. I understand that throwing this stuff into the landfill is a bad idea, as it’s full of heavy metals, etc. I’ve also heard that some E-Waste ‘recyclers’ just ship it to developing nations where people working in unsafe conditions dismantle it and then dump the non-valuable parts into their own landfills. Also, since the majority of this stuff is fully functional, just outdated or redundant, it seems like a waste not to give it to some group that could use it. Anybody have some sources for information on legitimate charities or recyclers? Thanks.
Where do you live? Nearly every city of decent size in California has an e-waste drop off day one or twice a year. It would be unfortunate if they ship it off to a third world country, but these are usually governmental agencies and you should have a clean conscience if they themselves act unscrupulously.
I tend to have a lot of old computer stuff around. When I don’t take stuff to the county recycling center (like Darryl Lict said - they’re only open at certain times) I donate it to the local school system. I was able to get rid of 6 CRT monitors last year that way.
Stuff like speakers and CD drives would be welcome in the schools because they’re non-essential things that they probably are slow to replace once they’re broke, but would be happy to use free ones. Cables are good too, because they probably have older machines that use older cables (like USB 1 and IEEEE). And, schools have more storage space than you do.