Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to the computers that people bring to this event?
Computer equipment dropped off during our events is loaded into trucks and transported by the our contracted electronics recycling company (Sims Recycling Solutions) to their facility. At the recycling facility all information from the hard drive is erased and the equipment is evaluated and tested for reuse potential. Electronics are then de-manufactured into component parts and recycled. Certain easily reusable components such as memory chips get harvested for reuse or refurbished for resale.

De-manufacturing involves separating equipment into 4 major categories:
1) Plastic
2) Circuit boards
3) Cathode ray tubes (CRT*) glass
4) Scrap metal

Plastic and scrap metal go to respective recyclers. Circuit boards and CRT glass go to metal/lead smelters.

*(A cathode ray tube – CRT – is the video display component of TV’s & monitors, which has lead added to the glass to protect the user from x-rays generated in the CRT)

Is any of the recycled material sent overseas?
No. We share your concern about dumping electronic waste on develping countries. Therefore we require that our vendors recycle all collected materials in the US and provide us with documentation about their down stream vendors. We audit this information to confirm validity.

Is my personal information on my computer safe? Do I have to delete the hard drive?
We require our contracted electronics recyclerto safeguard personal information on the hard-drive by either physically destroying the hard drive or wiping the hard drive clean to Department of Defense standards.

If you like to do your own data removal you can go to:
www.killdisk.com Use the free version and run several times.
www.dban.sourceforge.net Darik's Boot And Nuke is another free program.

Do you offer pick-ups?
Unfortunately we are not able to make pickups. We would like to suggest that you ask family and friends with cars for help. We have also seen people with vehicles organize their building by offering to transport computers from their neighbors to an event along with their own, think creatively!

The next best thing to pick-up is to ship your computer back to the manufacturers. This service - including free postage and pick up from your home - is offered by some computer manufacturers. More information about manufacturer take-back programs can be found here.

Can I take used items if I need them?
No. The collection events are not swap meets. We guarantee safety of personal information by requiring our computer recycler to destroy any data on the hard drive, since computers contain personal information that can be retrieved unless correctly erased. Since we make this promise, materials brought to the event need to go with the recycler. No picking over the pile!

If you wish to donate your used electronics for reuse or receive such used items for free, there are numerous organizations that facilitate the swapping of products. Look here for more information.

What can I bring?

Working and non-working:
Computers (laptop & desktop),
Servers, mainframes
Monitors
Printers, scanners, fax-machines, copiers
Network devices (routers, hubs, modems, etc.)
Peripherals (keyboards, mice, cables, etc.)
Components (hard drives, CD Roms, circuit boards, power supplies, etc,)
TVs,VCR & DVD Players
Audio visual devices
Radios/Stereos
Cell Phones, pagers
PDAs,Telecommunication (phones, answering machines, etc.)
Media (floppies, cd’s, zips, VHS tapes)**

**Gets sent to www.greendisk.com - if you have a lot of media please go to the website, pay a small fee, download an address label and send it directly to them.

Is there a limit to how much I can bring?
No, but if dropping off computers, only those from homes may be dropped off. We cannot accept computers from businesses.

Can I bring electronics from my business?
No, our computer recycling events are designed for New York City residents. Businesses are required to recycle computer equipment and should make their own arrangements with an electronics recycling company. For a list of vendors, please visit the NYCWasteLe$$ website.

My computer is still usable; I’d like to donate it.
Visit the NYC WasteLe$$ website to find an organization that fits your needs. If your computer is working, but rather old, recycling it with us is probably the best option. Never fear, any usable materials will be harvested.

Am I able to receive a tax deduction for donating my computer equipment?
Yes. Please visit our info table at the event, and we can help you there.

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