Recycling

It's that time of year, Spring Cleaning. This is a great time of year to clean out the old electronics in your house and your office. I am often asked "What should I do with these old computers?" Over the years I have discovered that around this time of year, many communities offer special events to bring in old computers and electronic equipment for recycling. Usually these events are near the end of April and often tied to Earth Day activities. Some communities have ongoing programs or events multiple times through out the year. Here are links to several programs in the metro area:

Alexandria

Arlington

Falls Church

Fairfax County

Washington DC

When recycling computers, I recommend you remove the hard drive first. This is the surest way to protect your data. You never know who will have access to the computer after you hand it off. If you need to destroy the hard drive, I find that brute force is the best method. I use a sledge hammer to bash the drive until the platter (actual disk itself) is bent. If they can't read the drive, they can't access it.