If your office is anything like mine, you have a TON of outdated/broken/obsolete tech stuff lying around, with nowhere to go. Now, in my office, we try not to throw this stuff out, because we are aware of the fact that it probably is not safe to go into the garbage dump. So we have what is lovingly referred to as the “tech graveyard”. It is a large box in a closet where we place all the gadgets and such that we have no idea what to do with.

Very recently my boss came to me and said. “Jessica, we need to do something about the graveyard, it is getting seriously out of control”. She was right. The box had turned into three boxes, nearly spilling out into the hallway whenever someone opened the door. So, now I had a mission. I had to figure out someway to deal with the tech stuff that was more sustainable than keeping it a closet (out of sight, out of mind- right?). Well, little did I know, the answer would be waiting for me in my inbox the next day. A friend of mine sent me an article that she thought I might find interesting. And interesting it was! Here is what I found out…

It seems as though “tech graveyards” may be more popular than you think. People all over the U.S. are struggling to find a solution to all the tech stuff that they just don’t know what to do with. Enter: Office Depot. According to this article, Office Depot is stepping up to the plate and helping the people of America find a home for all that obsolete tech equipment. As the article states, “the office supply retailer will offer recycling for tech equipment at all its 1,100-plus stores in North America.” Pretty nifty, no?

From what I understand, the tech recycling program is something Office Depot has been toying with for awhile now. It has been reported that the recycling program began 2006, in nearly 100 stores in the United States. Now, those stores must have done a really good job, because sustainabalebusiness.com claims that “more than 108,000 pounds of technology” has already been recycled. That’s the equivalent of over 15,428 of my office’s ‘tech graveyards’.

Further, according to the Office Depot Website, the company is taking measures in their offices to prevent the buildup of their very own ‘tech graveyard’. As the website states,
“Office Depot has an extensive waste recycling program at our Corporate Headquarters that targets more than 80% of our waste stream. This program includes paper, plastic bottles and cans, ink and toner cartridges, cell phones, rechargeable batteries and computers. Every ton of paper this program recovers has conserved 17 to 24 trees, and each extra ton of aluminum cans and plastic bottles recycled has conserved more than 2,000 gallons of gasoline.”

Now, Office Depot isn’t the only business looking to capitalize on the tech-recycling market. According to Frank Norton, from The News and Observer, “Intechra …{a company out of Jackson, Miss}, recycles tech equipment for major corporations. The company, which operates a logistics center in Durham, removes outdated computers, servers, monitors and other equipment, strips them of all data, refurbishes some and sells the rest as ground plastic, glass and metal on commodities markets.”

So, next time your boss is complaining about the ‘tech graveyard’ in your closet be reassured; there are options outside of throwing it all in the trash and hoping for the best. It is a sad fact that, an estimated 400 million units of obsolete electronics are scrapped yearly. That means that by 2010, three billion units will be in need of responsible recycling. That means we need to find an easier, more comprehensive way of dealing with our outdated gadgets. If all else fails, put an ad in the paper, or on craigslist.org saying you have a free box of out-dated tech stuff that you are looking to give away. I guarantee someone will be glad to get their hands on your unwanted ‘tech graveyard’.