At least twice a month we field a customer question about how to dispose of their old computers, monitors, printers, etc. While our answer has remained pretty much the same over the years (i.e. give them to us and we’ll find a solution), at least once every couple of years we have to find a new recycle center. It’s very difficult for re-manufacturers and recyclers to stay in business if they don’t charge for the collection of at least some items. Most make a living by salvaging the computers and monitors that actually work and re-selling them. In this scenario, collecting the true scrap is a sort of expensive loss leader.

Many also operate utilizing private, state and/or federal grants. While funds for e-cycling from environmental and educational foundations and endowments have largely dried up in the recent economic downturn, federal funds for these purposes are starting to pick up some of the slack. In many cases, this means out with e-cycler A and in with e-cycler B.

While Indiana laws regarding the disposal of small numbers of computers each year are fairly lenient, at Promethius we feel strongly that re-use and recycling are the best ways to keep the toxic chemicals, carcinogens and heavy metals contained in computers out of our landfills and water supply. In order to continue offering disposal services to our customers, maintain our commitment to the environment and not get stuck with unexpected recycling fees, what I’ll term the “nice-guy tax,” we have decided to implement a small recycling fee of $10 per system (computer, keyboard, mouse and monitor) and $5 per printer. We are also happy to assist with larger disposal efforts (more than 10 systems) by connecting companies directly with vendors to arrange for on-site collection, hard drive destruction certification, etc.

If you have questions regarding the disposal of your retired computer or other electronic devices, please give us a call at 317-733-2388.