If you're like many other people, you've been through a few computer upgrades over the years. Technology advances pretty quick, and its a constant race to stay on top of things. While its nice to have the latest and greatest system specs to keep up with the latest games and software, it leaves the question of what to do with older computers.

Simply placing them in your trash bin, being careful to cover it with a pile of "regular trash" to fool the collectors, is NOT a viable option. While that would be an easy disposal method, it is definitely not one that is environmentally friendly... and while I don't necessarily fit in with  the Greenpeace crew, I also am not one for knowingly poisoning the environment. Old CRT monitors contain lead. Printed circuit boards can have lead, mercury, chromium, and many other potentially hazardous materials. It is critical that these products be disposed of properly to help prevent these hazardous materials from sitting in landfills and contributing further damage to our environment.

So what do you do? You could always donate the computers to a needy family or an organization who may put them into use. Or, this weekend, Saturday April 17th from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Carl Perkins Civic Center will be FREE one-day event to collect hazardous electronics and dispose of them properly. Acceptable items include:

• CRT Monitors
• LCD Displays
• Laptop Computers
• PC Systems, CPU's, Towers
• Internal Computer Components
• Printers, Plotters
• Keyboard, Mouse
• External Disk Memory
• Circuit Boards
• Network Hubs, Modems, Routers
• Servers
• Fax Machines
• Multifunctional Printers
• Microphones, Headphones
• PDA's and Cradles
• Cellular Phones and Chargers

Its as easy as it gets, just drive up, drop-off, and go on about your day. It couldn't get any simpler.

There is one caveat, however. What about data that may still be on your old computer? Would you want banking information or child photos to fall into the wrong hands? Don't be fooled, just because a computer may not be functioning doesn't mean that the data stored in the hard drive can't be accessed.

If you need help securely erasing a hard drive before donating, or if you'd like some information transferred to a different computer, be sure to give us a call at 731.215.0390 for details.

Thanks in advance for doing your part to keep our environment safe, and God bless,

-myk robinson