The Computer Clinic

3026 Walhalla Highway, Six Mile, S.C. 29682

New Store Opening

Desktops - Laptops 

Starting at $199.00 Lay Away Available

Sales   Service   Repairs   Upgrades   Laptops   Parts   Networking

Get You Computer Repaired for as low as $39.99 !

We Make House Calls

$39.99   Repair Fee

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(864) 650-8383

Do You Want To Recycle? 

So you've decided to upgrade your computer but don't want your old one collecting dust in the basement. Nor do you want to add it to the landfill. What's a responsible computer user to do? It's a pressing question since so many families have more than one computer — one for the kids and one for mom and dad — and constant upgrades mean constant waste.

Learn how to go green and recycle with your old computer materials — from old PCs or hardware, to ink cartridges and even software. According to a study that was released in June 2003, we dump more than 140,000 tons of computer equipment, phones, televisions, stereos and small home appliances into landfills each year.  "that's equivalent to the weight of about 28,000 adult African elephants.

Electronic waste includes toxins such as mercury, lead and cadmium — all chemicals that can have a hazardous effect on the environment and human health. "It's not illegal to throw computer equipment into landfill, but it's toxic and should be illegal." The Computer Clinic refurbishes old computers. 

Contribute the whole computer 

Donating your old computer, whether to The Computer Clinic or to family members, is the easiest way to avoid adding to the landfill. 

"I don't like throwing away things that work. Somebody somewhere might need it, I upgrade my computer every year and a half. I'm a tech guy so I have to be up to par."

If you don't know anyone who might benefit from your upgrade, there are many organizations and charities that would be pleased to take your old computer. Make a list of your favorites and just pick up the phone and ask.

The Computer Clinic is a good place to start. Thrift stores like the Salvation Army and Goodwill sometimes accept donations of computers, provided they’re in decent working condition and meet minimum system requirements. (Goodwill, for example, wants Pentium II’s or above.)

Break it down

If your equipment is truly beyond refurbishing, parts of it can still avoid the landfill. The Computer Clinic  keeps the useful parts and then send the rest to companies that recycle the plastic, metals and glass.

Some municipalities also offer special environment days during which residents can drop off old electronic equipment that will either be donated or recycled where possible. The difficulty though is that there are very few companies that recycle electronic waste, and so at least some of your old computers may eventually find its way to the landfill.

Deliver it back to the manufacturer

Another option is to send your computer back to the source. Several computer companies have fee-based recycling programs.

For more information, visit:

• HP's computer hardware recycling service (who will take back products from any manufacturer including ink cartridges)
• Dell computer recycling service

Reuse ink cartridges, software and computer accessories

In addition to computer paraphernalia, The Computer Clinic finds homes for used printers, ink cartridges and software.

If ink cartridges still contain ink, The Computer Clinic will distribute them. If they're out of ink, MacDonald will send them to a company that refills and then resells them. Many office supply retailers have programs for recycling ink cartridges. Check the yellow pages for companies that will refill empty ones.

If old software is the original copy and comes with a license that allows re-use,  The Computer Clinic will donate it along with the computer.

Clear your hard drive before recycling

Of course, before you donate or recycle your computer, you should erase everything off your hard drive. MacDonald says clearing the hard drive is the first thing his employees do when they receive a computer.

For Windows XP and 2000 users, the easiest way to wipe your hard drive is to reinstall your operating system. The installation CD will prompt you to reinstall with an option to clear your hard drive.

Unfortunately that trick won’t work with Vista, which automatically backs up files and then reloads them after the reinstall is complete. Vista users should consider using hard drive eraser software like Killdisk.

For Windows 98 and 95 users, the safest bet would be to consult a computer technician at your nearest computer store to guide you through the process.

But don't forget to back up your files first,  once you've reinstalled your hard drive you can't get your files back!