Share Technology
Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: ewaste, recycle, phones | Themes: The Internet
6. Share Technology
Share Technology
Share Technology isn’t a conventional e-waste service – instead of trying to turn a profit, the enterprise’s Website serves as a hub for finding places to donate your reusable technology to groups that are most in need of it.
“Many of the hundreds of thousands of used computers taken out of service every year are still perfectly usable and could be passed along to nonprofit organizations, schools and people with disabilities,” the company claims.
Because of this, Share Technology has started an initiative to convince people to reuse technology rather than simply recycle it. According to the organization, oftentimes recycling results in good technology being thrown out for the sake of turning a profit, while reusing implies that operational technology will go to those people that need it most.
Unlike most of the other organizations, which sell technology back to third-parties, Share Technology specializes in giving computers to schools, children and people with disabilities. Depending on which group you would prefer to work with, the Share Technology page provides all the information needed to contact and send reusable computers to organizations or individuals in need. Getting the full story about the people who will benefit from your old technology—the backgrounds and interests of a specific group of elementary school students, for example—makes the donor more invested in the process.
Although I’ve never had the opportunity to use this program, it strikes me as one that could make a huge difference. Unlike organizations that try to profit off of your used technology by breaking it down into saleable parts, this organization puts you in contact with people whose lives you can impact directly.
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AT&T also sponsors a program called Cell Phones for Soldiers, where you can donate used cell phones to be recycled and help pay for prepaid calling cards for our soldiers to call home.
Why isn't my Nokia 3210 in the list on ebay? It's not that old is it?
For those of you that can't figure out what to do with the old stuff, Best Buy in the U.S.A. will accept electronic junk at no charge and ship it to dedicated electronics recyclers. This is not a donation - no charitable tax receipts can be given - but Best Buy can make sure that toasted monitor (hazardous waste) in your basement does not end up in a landfill before it has been properly recycled. Contact a manager at your nearest Best Buy for more details on their recycling program if this sounds like something you could use.
Free Geek isn't just for people in Oregon. People have started Free Geek branches in cities all over North America. I volunteer at Free Geek Vancouver, and we're just as happy to recycle your old junk as the one in Portland.