unloading broken electronics

Posted by: DWallach

unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 00:19

I've got an old surround receiver that smokes when you turn it on. I've got an old 5-CD carousel that's got a broken mechanism. I've got a satelite/sub computer speaker where the sub is intermittent. I've got a bunch of largely worthless (to me) electronics. The question is, what should I do with this stuff? It's been piling up in the corner, but that corner needs to be repurposed.

Is there any money in this old stuff (whether by donation or via eBay), or should I load up the trash can and call it a day?
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 00:22

As someone else recently suggested for something else, you could try Freecycle. You never know what someone might want. That doesn't help your financial concern, though.
Posted by: Roger

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 04:52

Quote:
or should I load up the trash can and call it a day?


At the very least, take it to the local recycling centre. You have those (for free), right?
Posted by: DWallach

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 17:56

Recycling center? The closest I can get is a place where I can dump aluminum cans and glass bottles. They don't take anything else. Then there are places like Goodwill, who mostly take old clothes. I don't know if they can do much with old electronics.
Posted by: mlord

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 18:16

If you cannot fix them yourself, then just give them to the local electronics surplus shop. Most larger cities have a place (or two) like that.

Cheers.
Posted by: Roger

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 18:39

Quote:
Recycling center? The closest I can get is a place where I can dump aluminum cans and glass bottles.


Wow. We have a free, local municipal recycling centre which takes bottles, cans, paper, books, card, wood, textiles, plastics, metal, oil, car batteries, dry-cell batteries, mobile phones, electronics, garden waste, and pretty much anything else in separate skips.

It's about 1.5 miles up the road from us.

It's restricted to residential waste, to avoid (e.g.) builders taking the p***.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 18:44

Welcome to Uh-murrika: Land of Excess.
Posted by: matthew_k

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 18:53

Well, in california we've got computer recycling. Every time we buy a a CRT/Plasma/LCD display we pay a fee for disposal which supposedly means we can turn them in to be recycled. I'm not sure where I would though.

Staples or Office Depot occasionally run computer recycling weeks where they'll take electronics for free.

Matthew
Posted by: tman

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 19:52

Quote:
It's restricted to residential waste, to avoid (e.g.) builders taking the p***.

Sometimes they're a bit paranoid about that rule. I was helping somebody redo their kitchen units and they said it was industrial waste! Kept arguing and arguing until they finally said they'll accept 1 car load which just happened to be all we wanted to dump anyway.
Posted by: AndrewT

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 21:03

I usually get away with murder at these municipal recycling sites and I've done it lots of times! The trick is to set aside any copper waste separately (pipework, cabling, water cylinders) and approach someone at the recycling site and ask if they want any copper. The answer will be "yes, it's the only perk we get with this job" and then you stand aside while they unload your car for you!
Posted by: FireFox31

Re: unloading broken electronics - 08/05/2006 23:43

Quote:
an old surround receiver that smokes

At your next party, it'll serve double duty as a fog machine.

Quote:
an old 5-CD carousel

Hold 5 cups of coffee instead of one.
Posted by: andy

Re: unloading broken electronics - 09/05/2006 02:58

Quote:

Sometimes they're a bit paranoid about that rule. I was helping somebody redo their kitchen units and they said it was industrial waste! Kept arguing and arguing until they finally said they'll accept 1 car load which just happened to be all we wanted to dump anyway.


Imagine the trouble that builders who only have their van for transport have when going to the dump at the weekend with their own household waste...
Posted by: Mach

Re: unloading broken electronics - 09/05/2006 04:08

Are you still located in Houston? It's been a few years but there were several places to recycle electronics. EPO on Fondren can probably tell you where the nearest one is if the list below doesn't help.

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/03/recycle/popupwhat/electronics.html
Posted by: DWallach

Re: unloading broken electronics - 09/05/2006 17:47

From that list, ScrapComputer.com sounds like the right answer (they're also close to my house), but their web site is fubar. (Maybe it's being recycled.)
Posted by: DWallach

Re: unloading broken electronics - 09/05/2006 17:50

Quote:
(Surround receiver) At your next party, it'll serve double duty as a fog machine.
(5-CD carousel) Hold 5 cups of coffee instead of one.

Such clever ideas. Certainly, no party is complete without the smell of charred electronics. That magic black smoke is all the rage among the kiddies. The carousel could also double as an hors d'ourves serving device, if only we could convince the tray to open.