Old electronics collecting dust? Safe and eco-friendly event offers free solution

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/09/2022 (1129 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We all have it. That one drawer in our desk or shelf at home that’s chalk-full of our old and unwanted electronics. A computer that works at about half a turtle’s speed, a hard drive you accidentally spilled coffee on, and some old USBs with who-knows-what on them. This collection continues to grow as you promise yourself you’ll deal with it when you have the time. Yet you never have the time. And when we do, we forget all about it. So it flourishes in dust and darkness.

Part of the problem is that many of us don’t really know what to do with old computers and drives. Is there enough there to salvage and sell? Can we recycle them? Or should we simply throw them in the trash and forget about it?

All three of these options put us at risk. We sometimes fail to realize the intelligence of the machines we’re looking to throw away. These are computers that we’ve used to log in to our emails, that we’ve made purchases through, and that we’ve saved a ton of information that could put us and our families in danger of identity theft and fraud. Even if we wipe the computer clean, programs exist that can recover that information, making that dusty slow computer a gold mine in the wrong person’s hands.

That’s why the Better Business Bureau and BBB Education Foundation are partnering with the Electronic Recycling Association to help Manitobans safely dispose of their unwanted electronics.

“This is a great opportunity to clean house and be confident your information will be safely destroyed,” said Len Andrusiak, president and CEO of the BBB serving Manitoba and Northwest Ontario.

“People are a little hesitant to go to a recycling depot and leave their computers there, so this event features a powerful hard drive shedder that will destroy your data on site while you watch.”

Technology sponsor Evident IT will have technicians onsite that will remove hard drives from computers so they can be placed into the shredder.

The event is free of charge and will further divert materials from landfills, helping curb the growing problem of electronic waste. E-waste is especially concerning as it can leach toxic chemicals into the soil, air or ground water. Instead, the recycled and refurbished electronics will be donated to three community organizations (Altered Minds Inc, Fearless R2W and the BBB Education Foundation) so that nothing ends up as environmental waste.

It’s a win-win-win for the community, an event that truly has everyone’s best interests in mind.

“We encourage people to think about the life cycle of the phone, laptops and tablets” said Sally Tran, Marketing and Events Coordinator with the Electronic Recycling Association.

“Instead of sending it to landfill or having it sit in a drawer, give it to somebody that needs it. It may be old to you, but it’s new to someone in need.”

Also supporting the event is the Winnipeg Police Financial Crime Unit, which wants to help you avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud.

The BBB, which has also been working to help people stay safe from fraudsters, knows just how easy it is for intelligent community members to fall prey to these crimes and wants to keep you, your family and your finances safe through events like this.

Accepted items include laptops, computers, docking stations, keyboards, mice, wires/cables, gaming consoles, iPods, iPads, MP3 players, stereo equipment, printers, fax machines, scanners, copiers, handheld devices, phone systems, CDs and DVDs, servers, switchers, software, lab equipment and disk array.

It all takes place on Thurs., Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 875 St. James St. (in the Winners/HomeSense parking lot at Polo Plaza). Thank you to our in-kind sponsors SHINDICO, Watermart, Party Stuff & U-Rent-It and ATS Traffic.

For more information, contact Marian Henry, Program Manager at 204-989-9010 ext. 104 or mhenry@manitoba.bbb