As I travel to different customer sites, I often notice a lot of old equipment lying around, getting in the way, and generally taking up space. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a neat freak or minimalist by any means. In fact, I think I still have some old PS/2 keyboards around here “just in case”. However, with the best-seller status of Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, we at Invario have been focusing more on decluttering. It’s time to securely dispose of that old computer equipment.
Not to mention that Washington, DC has one of the highest rents in the country with an average of $59.49/sq. ft. in 2017. Meaning it just doesn’t make sense to use your valuable office space to store obsolete computer equipment you will never use again.
What to Do with All That Stuff
It would be nice if you could just take your old laptop and put it in the recycling bin along with the office paper and plastic bottles, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. A good option I’ve found to securely dispose of computer equipment is eAsset Solutions in Falls Church, VA. They provide reuse and recycling for computer equipment and other electronic assets, both in working or nonworking condition. You can drop items off at their recycling center (as in the picture above) or arrange with eAsset Solutions for a pickup. They will take it all for free, except for a small fee on the tube style CRT monitors.
Other options are to donate pieces in good working order to a local school or other charity, or try to sell them. If you are thinking about selling your unused equipment on a forum such as eBay, my advice is seller beware. I’ve seen firsthand several scams with either unscrupulous buyers or sellers. Familiarize yourself with the seller protection policy. Also, watch for red flags such as missing or negative buyer reviews, or requests to use payment methods that are outside of eBay. Unfortunately, I have never seen the selling of used computer equipment be worth the effort. I know what I have paid for this stuff and sometimes it pains me to just dispose of it a few years later, but just getting rid of it will open up new opportunities that the storage is blocking.
If you need assistance cleaning out your computer room, Invario can help. Just reach out to me and we will work something out.
How to Securely Dispose of That Old Computer Equipment
The most important thing to remember when disposing of unused assets is to make sure all of your data is erased from the device. When working with a third party, confirm they’ll securely dispose of old computer equipment by removing asset tags, erasing or destroying the hard drives, or degaussing tapes. They should be willing to provide you with a certificate of data destruction upon request.
Similarly, if you are disposing of an old cell phone, make sure to do a factory reset and remove all of your data from the device (of course after you have backed it up or transferred it your new device). This is especially true for business data that might be present on the phone. A big worry for many companies today is employees’ access to company information such as email or downloaded documents on their personal cell phones and tablets. If this is a concern for you, let me know. Invario offers device management solutions to address these issues and keep your company data secure.
In conclusion, when you get ready for spring cleaning, don’t forget to reuse, recycle, donate, sell or otherwise dispose of your old computer equipment. Decluttering may even change your life. Just be sure to do it with security in mind.
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Referral$
If you know of a company that would be interested in the services of Invario, please email me the company name along with the phone number and email for the person we should contact.
That is all you have to do! Upon completion of the onboarding of a new customer, Invario will pay the equivalent of one month of Invario service to that customer. Recipients that cannot or do not wish to receive a referral payment may elect to have the referral fee donated to a charity of their choice or put into a company entertainment fund.
Referral$
If you know of a company that would be interested in the services of Invario, please email me the company name along with the phone number and email for the person we should contact.
That is all you have to do! Upon completion of the onboarding of a new customer, Invario will pay the equivalent of one month of Invario service to that customer. Recipients that cannot or do not wish to receive a referral payment may elect to have the referral fee donated to a charity of their choice or put into a company entertainment fund.