There are lots of good things to do on this 35th Earth Day. But I’m not recommending that you go out and hug a tree or anything radical that might drag you away from the computer and force you into the sunlight. I’m merely suggesting that you take a look around your place to see what old computer and electronic gear needs to be thrown out …

But I’m not suggesting that you throw it out.

Rather that you think about how you can either:

a) find that tired old equipment a new home, or
b) recycle the stuff that’s not worth saving

Computers and electronic equipment are filled with toxins that should not end up in a landfill, where dangerous chemicals can leach into the water supply. (The lead in CRT monitors is particularly heinous.) There are lots of companies that will take old equipment off your hands and dispose of it properly.

Computer recycling firms tear down outdated computers to salvage any usable components. Units that are past their useful life can be ground into steel and plastic bits, as shown in this piece on HP’s recycling efforts.

Cell phone recycling specialists may resell old phones in third-world countries or donate them to worthy causes. Some of these companies might even put a little cash in your pocket for the effort.