Make Moving Simple

When moving, one of the biggest tasks is getting rid of stuff.  By eliminating the amount you’re moving you can save quite a bit of money and time.   In my article about how to save money on your move using a cube sheet you can see how much money you can save by reducing the total weight of things to be moved.  Unfortunately some of the time savings are lost when you realize how hard it can be to get dispose of certain items appropriately and even more difficult when you’re trying to be green about it.

Along these lines some of the more difficult items to dispose of can be home electronics, computers and related equipment including monitors and printers.  I feel like printers deserve special recognition because if your experience has been anything like mine printers just don’t seem to last.  Or you may get a new printer or computer and just hold on to your old one until you can determine what to do with it.

If you do have a television or printer that still works, you might consider selling it depending on how outdated the technology is.  Old computers are different for two reasons.  First, technology advances so quickly that old computers become outdated quickly.  Second, selling a computer requires complete erasure of hard drive contents to protect the security of your old data and personal information.  You’ll need to be somewhat technically savvy to be able to do this properly or you’ll have to pay someone to do it.  Note that deleting files does NOT erase your data and old data can be recovered fairly easily from someone with the right skills.  Donating computers to a school or other program is a another worthy consideration but also necessitates proper deletion of hard drive data.

My recommendation for the simplest solution to dispose of computers and other electronics is using an electronic recycling business for all of your old electronics.  Due to the sheer quantity and rapid growth of electronic goods requiring disposal this industry is booming and the number of electronic recyclers is growing.  Although there is no single electronic recycler that I’m aware of that operates across the US, I have outlined below several electronic recycling businesses or websites where you can search for the nearest e-recycler.

• Earth911.com:  www.Earth911.com – Probably one of the easiest to use and one of the most comprehensive of all recycling center search sites.  Just type in what you’re looking to recycle and where and you get a list of centers and businesses near you.
• myGreenElectronics: www.mygreenelectronics.org – Another very simple and fairly comprehensive search site.
• E-cycling Central: www.ecyclingcentral.com – A state by state clickable map brought to you by the Telecommunications Industry Association is easy to use but relatively limited in number of e-cycling locations.
• ASL Recycling: www.aslrecycling.com – They work with moving companies and other businesses throughout California and organizations and coordinate e-cycling programs and events and do all of the recycling in house utilizing green and efficient methods.
• Best Buy: www.bestbuy.com – Although the scope of what they collect is somewhat limited and they require you remove your computer’s hard drive before donating, they do have many locations across the US and will give you a $10 gift card for donating.  Best Buy recycling program information
• Staples: www.staples.com – Although they have many locations, TV’s are not accepted and a $10 fee applies to all computers and related equipment.  Staples recycling program information

Recently I was trying to get rid of an old vacuum and I wasn’t sure what to do with it.  In the green spirit of reuse and recycle I just couldn’t get myself to put it in the trash (which may even be illegal).  The vacuum cleaner was aging and although the motor still worked it needed a new filter, brush and belt.  The price of the parts was about what the vacuum cost when it was new so it made more sense to get a new one.  This led to my consideration of the options regarding how to get ride of a vacuum, working or not and which methods of disposal work best for certain situations.  So whether your moving, or just getting rid of old items, consider the options below to determine what’s best for you.

1. Sell it.  If your vacuum works and is still new enough and in good enough shape then selling it using online or print classifieds makes the most sense. If it’s old or if it needs a little repair this may still be an option but it might be better to try and find a vacuum sale and repair shop that is interested.

2. Donate it. This is probably the best option if the vacuum still works but really isn’t worth the trouble to sell it and if you just don’t need the extra money.  Remember there is usually a tax benefit for donated items (check tax code for details).

3. Leave it curbside. This should only be tried in urban areas if the vacuum works and with a sign indicating that it’s free and does indeed work.  This is usually most effective on the weekend.  A note here that this may be seriously frowned upon and possibly against city code in certain areas but I know that it’s done frequently in our community and it benefits both the disposer and the receiver.  Another note, please remove the item and find another way to dispose of it if it’s not picked up by someone within a couple of days, otherwise it will be sure to agitate neighbors and make the neighborhood look trashy.

4. Give it to a vacuum repair and sale shop.  This is what we decided to do and it made the most sense.  That way they could decide if it was worth it for them to repair and resell or to use to dismantle and use for parts.

5. Recycle it. In many areas your vacuum is recyclable by your local recycle center.  If you don’t know the name or location of your local recycle center, call or visit the website of your waste removal service to find their information.  In some cases the recycle center can provide free pickup of your vacuum and many other recyclable items and appliances.  If not a drop may be required but this is still fairly easy to do and much better for the environment than simply throwing your vacuum in the garbage or dropping it at your local dump or transfer station.

6. Trash it. Truly a last resort.  Besides the fact that a vacuum in a dump just doesn’t seem right, it might not even be allowed in certain areas.