We tend to hold on to our trash for too long, and it always feels like we have a very good reason. For instance, we have an ancient computer hogging precious closet space while we try to figure out how to dispose of it without creating more toxic landfill.
And now we have an answer. SF's Computer Recycling Corporation has a drop-off day tomorrow, Saturday, August 19th, from 10am 2pm in the Marina Green Parking Lot at Marina & Webster.
Charitable donation receipts will be given in exchange for your old electronic trash, which they will first try to resusitate, and if that's not possible, dispose of safely.
Not just computers (working and non-working) but cell phones and networking and office electronics, up to 10 items per person. Enough to free up quite a bit of space...
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I recently took a summer public speaking class and did an informative speech on ewaste
Just FYI as of July 1, 2006 in CA all cell phone retailers are required to take back your old cell phones and dispose of them properly.
And as of this past February, it is illegal to put electronic waste in your household trash. That includes VCRs, stereos, etc. The only thing I could find that would happen if you do, is that the garbage pickup has the option to refuse to take your trash.
Here are some helpful sites for CA
http://www.erecycle.org/efaqs.htm
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/ReuseRecycle/
http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/ca_e-waste/existing_laws
http://www.epa.gov/e-Cycling/live.htm
Los Angeles has what they call SAFE (Solvents, Auto, Flammables, Electronics) recycling centers which are permanent collection centers in addition to one time events. I tried to find San Fran's Dept of Sanitation website but no luck. Here's LA's
http://www.lacity.org/SAN/solid_resources/special/hhw/e_waste.htm
If you want to try to resell your old computer and want to know the potential value:
http://rethink.ebay.com/odcs/custom.htm?template=sell
On the right side of the page in the green boxes are links to computer and cell phone values as well as how to erase personal info before selling.
If you really want to do your research you might want to find out what non-government (or even government programs, I guess) do with your stuff once they have it. Some places simply ship it to 3rd world countries where unprotected children dig through the mercury-laiden parts for a $1 a day. In 2003, DELL was found to be using state prisoners to dismantle old computers and the prisoners were similar to 3rd world countries by being unprotected and just smashing monitors with hammers. Some are supposed to send still working equipment to Africa but just end up sending pure junk instead. And some haul-away companies have been know to just throw it in a field somewhere.
For those living in the East Bay, we just dropped off a tv and old imac monitor to the Alameda County Computer Resource Center right off the Univerity exit to Berkeley.
The site says that they charge for items with non-source (?) info, but they didn't charge us even though we had no source info. (It could be that we got there right after they closed and they just wanted to hurry up.)
Check the site for more info:
http://www.accrc.org