Computer Recycling
Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania is deeply committed to and involved in the refurbishing and recycling of donated computers, and is a leader in the nationwide effort to deal with the fast-growing problem called “e-waste” – the tens of millions of computers and other electronics that are discarded each year. Goodwill of SWPA's computer recycling activities are among the largest of all Goodwills in the U.S.
Computer Donations
Public donations of individual personal computers and related equipment are accepted at all Goodwill Stores and Attended Donation Centers. In addition, Goodwill actively solicits donations of large and small quantities of “retired” computers from corporations, businesses and other organizations. Goodwill is a free, safe, easy and responsible way to discard of unwanted computer equipment. Goodwill will also accept other gently used electronics including televisions.
Take a look at this video of Goodwill's recent e-waste recycling drive in Cranberry Township (September 17, 2011). On this day, over 15 tons of e-waste was collected!
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Article: TechMan: Computer recycling: It's free and easy
Computer Recycling Center
In 1995, Goodwill of SWPA became the first Goodwill in the U.S. to initiate a computer recycling program, when Carnegie Mellon University donated its inventory of used computers and provided volunteer technicians to help get the Goodwill Computer Recycling Center (CRC) off the ground. Today, the CRC takes in more than 40,000 donated computers every year. After the hard drives are wiped clean, the computers are either refurbished and then sold at the ComputerWorks stores in South Side and Lawrenceville, or they are de-manufactured to remove valuable components and precious metals that are sold as salvage materials while the remaining non-usable parts are recycled in an environmentally friendly manner.
Partnerships
In addition, Goodwill and the CRC manage several important partnerships involving computer recycling including:
Reconnect Pittsburgh – Our Reconnect Pittsburgh partnership with Dell Inc., one of the world’s largest computer manufacturers, takes advantage of Goodwill’s existing donation and retail infrastructure and the recycling experience and resources of Dell. The program offers a proactive solution to environmentally responsible electronics disposal. Goodwill consolidates and sorts donated equipment for shipment to a Dell product recovery partner for reuse or recycling. Equipment that meets minimum standards is refurbished and resold and all proceeds support our non-profit job training and community programs. Equipment that cannot be refurbished is responsibly recycled. Visit www.reconnectpartnership.com to locate a convenient drop-off location at any local Goodwill retail store or Attended Donation Center (except the North Side Store).
Welfare-to-Work Employment Program – Goodwill manages a welfare-to-work employment program for computer recycling through a joint venture with the City of Pittsburgh’s Pittsburgh Partnership and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Working in collaboration with the Reconnect Pittsburgh partnership with Dell, this employment joint venture will provide computer recycling jobs for up to 100 individuals transitioning from welfare to work.
ComputeReach is humanitarian computer outreach that began in 2001 as a volunteer based team dedicated to the recycling and redistribution of discarded computers from schools, businesses and homes all over Western Pennsylvania. Today they continue to serve people with computers all over the USA and internationally, powered by a large volunteer base and philanthropy from those who share in the mission to educate the world and prevent electronic waste simultaneously, one recycled computer at a time.
Kil-A-Byte Data Destruction Service
A business unit of Goodwill’s Computer Recycling Center, Kil-A-Byte Data Destruction Service offers safe, affordable identity protection to individuals and businesses that store personal information on computer hard drives.
- Kil-A-Byte offers a safe, affordable, guaranteed way to permanently destroy information residing on computer hard drives.
- Hard drives are cleaned and the computers can either be returned to the customer for further use or donated to Goodwill.
- The service was developed initially for healthcare organizations that must comply with the privacy law known as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act); it can help any business or individual that is concerned about the security of proprietary or personal information.
- Customers who choose to use Kil-A-Byte’s services receive a certificate of data destruction from Goodwill’s HIPAA Compliance Officer confirming that the data has been destroyed.
- The Kil-A-Byte service meets Department of Defense standards.
- Data-destruction services at Kil-A-Byte’s secure facility can handle up to 5,000 computer systems per year.
- Secure transfer of computers among locations assured.
For information about computer donations or Goodwill’s computer recycling programs, please call Tom Evans at 412-632-1932 or 412-526-1020 or Contact Us about Donating Computers.
