Realcent.org

I have several old desk top and lap top computers and other e waste such as mother boards and CPUs I would like to send off to a recycler. My concern is that I am unsure as how to package them up to keep the gold and silver from being broken off. Do the Recyclers provide plastic bags that would cointain all of the gold and silver that might break free. Also should I take the computers apart to lessen weight and and bulk?

Some places buy the laptops whole, it may pay more per pound depending on the prices you get. Break everything else down. I bag up each type of item separate. Stack your boards in the box first and then fill in the space with the rest. Just make sure you are sending items out that are worth there weight, as shipping costs add up quickly!

Are you shipping by LTL, private courier, shipping container, regular mail? If you're only talking about a small box full of parts sent by mail, you'll want to avoid shipping any steel, low grade boards, electric motors or other low value items.

As someone who routinely buys smaller amounts of e-scrap, I must confess there are few things worse than opening a box and finding 15 different types of items blended together, especially if they were purchased as sorted and separately weighed. Sometimes a small box full of 50 lbs of small components can take several hours to sort correctly.

Keeping the items separate (assuming you know how to separate them) and sealing the box(es) well will make whoever is on the receiving end much happier. Also, circuit boards in particular need to be packed so they can't slide around; they have sharp edges and can easily split open packages in transit.

Okay, thanks for the advice. As I understand it computer screens contain silver. Is this correct? Also do CDs, zip disks, and floppy disks have anything worthwhile?