Sunday July 6th, 2008
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A Perfectly Fine Printer Dilemma
Posted by Sharleen Smith on September 7, 2006 - 1:21pm.
My husband uses a PC, and I am a devout Mac user. We've decided to make our relationship work none-the-less, but that does not mean that technology is always on our side. For ages now, we've struggled to have a network printer for our home-based office that services both our machines and operating systems. This lovely but inconvenient HP, an all-in-one model that includes a scanner and printer, needed to be turned on and off for individual print jobs. Worse, we had to have swap out the connector every time either of us wanted to print something. Sigh.
The good news: we've since found a solution that works for us! The bad news: we found it two years ago. Yet we still have this printer sitting on a shelf, collecting dust, taking up space... mocking me.
I can't throw it out, it works! I have not been able to give it away either, though in all honesty, I've only asked a couple of friends. If I were more determined maybe I'd take a photo, post it on eBay and try to get something back for the headache... nay.
But the time has come. I want the shelf space. The printer needs to leave my home. So I've decided it needs to be recycled. But how and where? And why, exactly, is recycling a better fate than simply chucking this machine in the trash?
I'll let you know what I learn.
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Can't wait to see what happens. I've been giving my broken electronics to public schools for years. When they figure out that they don't work the kids use them for art projects and stuff.
Maybe not the best way to dispose.
Yes there are a couple of options you can do -
1. donate to a school - for kids to use
2. donate to a the salvation army
3. give to techno trash - which recycles printers, computers, etc.
that was my comment to submit to the following --
donate to a school for kids to use
donate to the salavation army
give it to techno trash which recycles printers, computer, etc.
Marianne Scott
My wife bought a Dell recently, and it came with a free low-end printer. Completely unnecessary... we couldn't give it away.
I wish we could have just checked a box on our order that says "donate this to someone who needs it."
There's actually a whole movement, called producer takeback, dedicated to getting unwanted electronics off the streets and making producers -- the Dells, HPs, and Apples of the world -- more accountable for the eventual demise of the products they sell. I wrote about it here a few months back in a similar context. Another option is to freecycle the printer. Freecycle is a kind of online regifting coordinator. You list unwanted doodads on your local Freecycle site; someone with a dire need for doodads takes it off your hands, no money exchanged. You need gewgaws? Post an ad asking for some and, usually, ye shall receive. (Yeah, I cribbed this from another of my Lime posts. Lazy me.)
Hope this helps...
Hey Phil, just did a fast peak at Freecycle and I think it's a great site, thanks so much for the link. I think I'll also be referencing your article about where old technology goes.
How's the rennovation going?
Is how the reno's going. Thanks for asking (and pimping my blog).
Freecycle is fantastic. When, in a fit of spring cleaning, we put all of our CDs into some of those book-like carrying cases, we were left with thousands of plastic CD cases. Gone in minutes -- literally -- after posting them to Freecycle. Rad. Best thing about it: people came to us to get them.
We also got a free piano. Never play it, but it looks nice...
Not sure where you are, usually checking with your local recycling centers etc. helps to find the right place to drop off your battery/electronics for recylcing, but you can also try using this link, just plug in your zipcode and get a full list of places that accept batteries, plus a whole host of other consumer electronics for recycling
Hope it helps you.