When the time comes to get rid of your old computer and replace it with a new one, you’ll need to be prepared for both digital and physical disposal. You’ll most likely want to transfer important files and other meaningful documents to your new computer. Use an external storage device, a USB drive, or a CD to save your old files, and then wipe your hard drive clean so personal and financial information can’t be accessed. If there is information that could be used by an identity thief stored on your computer, you might want to consider using a program that overwrites or wipes your hard drive clean repeatedly. Once you’re sure you have the information you want to keep stored in an external source and the data you don’t need erased or destroyed, it’s time to handle the physical disposal. You can benefit from selling, recycling, or donating your old technology.

One way to rid yourself of your old computer is by selling it on eBay or Amazon. This way, you can make money to put towards your new computer and help someone else out at the same time. Be sure to be as descriptive as possible when detailing the information on either of these sites—if buyers don’t receive the product promised there can be serious repercussions. If you have no luck selling online or don’t want to bother with online sites, you can sell individual parts or whole items at junk sales, yard sales, Gumtree, or car boot sales. If you’d rather avoid the hassle of selling all together, give back to the environment by recycling your old stuff. Find a local recycling company online or look them up in the phonebook to learn about the recycling policies near you.  Computers contain many valuable metals as well as some non-recyclable parts, so it’s important you personally contact a recycler instead of tossing it in a recycling bin. Some companies, like Dell and Fonebak, will do the recycling for you. A less literal form of recycling would be to giving away unwanted outdated technology to someone else who wants or needs it. Try checking out www.Freecycle.org to advertise anything you want to donate to someone in your area. You can also donate to homeless shelters, children’s shelters, or other charitable groups that serve the less fortunate in your area.