What is the proper way to dispose of an old laptop computer, that is earth-friendly?

Destroy the hard drive to remove all your data and then take it to an e-waste.

If you are buying a new machine, ask if they will take your old one. Apple, for example, will do it.

As @Rarebear says, take out the hard drive and destroy that separately.

It most places it’s actually illegal to throw the thing in the trash. If you just bought a new computer then the retailer might dispose of the old one for you. In the EU they are obliged to do this.

donate it to the poor.

Find an e-waste recycler. If you Google around, there are some websites that have databases of them by area.

You don’t have to destroy your HD. Install eraser and wipe your disk to DOD standards – then give it to a kid in your family, or just about anyone who may get value from it.

@ipso That probably works okay, but if you’re giving it away to people not in your family, you should destroy the hard drive, just in case. It looks like a good erasing program, but it’s best not to take chances on this sort of thing. Hard drives are cheap.

Yours is definitely the accepted norm @BhacSsylan.

Eraser is DoD-compliant. I feel that’s good enough for anything this side of the law.

www.freecycle.org

Or put it up in the Free section of your local Craigslist. You’d be amazed at how many responses you’ll get. Some people may want to use it as a second monitor or an Art project.

@delta77 I second freecycle.org suggested by @Buttonstc. I heard about this site from another post on Fluther. Basically, you put the item on your local list and once you receive a number of replies, YOU then decide who gets your computer (or whatever else you wish to pass on.) Freecycle.org is worth looking at.

Sell it to a computer hardware store. Some of them want to buy used laptop as long as it’s usable.

According to a man who was almost elected US president:

a) Burn it in a barrel with a quart of used motor oil to get it going.
b) Purchase offset credits.

You could sell it to http://www.gazelle.com/. If they can’t give you any money for it they will still recycle it for you.

If it still is in working condition, use dban boot and nuke to destroy ALL data on the hard drive. The app is freeware. The entire process can take up to 48 hours, depending on the machine. Then, craigslist: free computer. Someone will want to use it just for word processing.

I was going to ask this question too. I found a local service for e-waste but I was curious about their “free secure hard drive wipe”.

http://www.xcentech.com/xc/pages/secure-data-destruction

Does this sound like a legitimate process or technobabble lies?

@Iclamae It certainly does SOUND good and right, and I’m sure that what they say about the existence of technology IS correct. However, whether they actually do as they say to the extent that they claim is something that probably requires a grain of faith in their reputation. All I can suggest is this: Search for business name, domain name, partners/directors names, etc in your favourite search engine and see what turns up to either confirm or deny their bona fides. You could also check local business associations in their area and see if they get a good report from them. Check with your consumer protection people in their or your area, and similar things as these. This should give you a good source of information as to whether YOU should trust them.

All the best.

@Andreas thanks very much!

@Iclamae You’re welcome.

I am the owner of Xcentech Computers, LLC (the company linked above) and I want to assure you all that our drive wiping service is legitimate. We use what is referred to in the industry as the DOD 5220–22.M 7 pass wipe. In general terms, this means that a software program throws random data bits through a complicated algorithm (think HS math) and then writes the gibberish to the drive, sector by sector SEVEN times! This process often takes several hours to several days. Should the drive be too damaged to pass this process, it is separated and sent to manual distruction.

Now here are some assurances:
-The drives are kept behind several locked doors at all times
-The building is alarmed 24X7X365
-We have cameras that record
-We issue certificates showing that the destruction was done, including serial number. By the way, I sign each one of these.
-We are licensed
-We are insured
-We have a store and are members of both the BBB and the Arizona Small Business Association
-We have over 12 years of industry experience and serve various clients from medical providers and attorneys to architects and insurance providers
-We work only with responsible recycling partners for all waste that cannot be specifically processed by us. However, we do all the drive wipes ourselves.

Please let me know if that helps to answer your questions. We can always be reached at 520–271-4733 or service@xcentech.com if you have other questions.

Happy Recycling!