Do the "PC" Thing:
Donate Computers
A working computer is a terrible thing to waste. Donating computers to schools, charities,
and low-income individuals is a win-win situation for business and the community. Reusing com-
puters benefits communities, helps us use valuable materials wisely, and keeps working PCs out of
landfills.
Getting Started
Locate a Nonprofit Organization or Refurbisher
Nonprofit umbrella organizations, such as the National Cristina
Foundation or Computers for Learning, act as a clearinghouse
for connecting unwanted computers to those in need of
technology—primarily people with disabilities, at risk students
and disadvantaged persons. Such charities direct equipment
donated for reuse to a range of organizations based on an as-
sessment of their specific needs, combined with their capacity
for technical support and ability to refurbish any equipment
they might receive. Information about the working order of
the machines, including equipment specifications such as the
amount of memory, and processor speed, is taken into account
and is central to making successful matches.
Many local nonprofit organizations may also accept computer
donations. Some organizations refurbish reusable comput-
ers or demanufacture non-working equipment into reusable
components. Newer computers might be incorporated into
a career-training program, or used at a school. Not every
organization can accept your old computer, so always check
before donating.
Microsoft Authorized Refurbishers (MARs) retool donated
computers to bring them up-to-date so that schools and
charities can better use them. The MAR program was created
to increase the number of usable PCs available to nonprofits,
schools, and low-income families across the globe by reduc-
ing the cost of software to refurbishers. MARs are authorized
by Microsoft to install Windows 98 Second Edition and
Windows 2000 Operating Systems and Microsoft Works 7.0
software on eligible refurbished computers, provided these
computers are supplied to eligible recipients. The new owner
of the refurbished computer can then use the operating sys-
tem and does not need to purchase a new copy.
Do the PC Thing:
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Donate
Call Ahead When Donating
to Local Charities
Many organizations cannot use donated
electronics and end up having to
dispose of them at a significant cost.
Contact the charity in advance to make
sure they accept electronic donations
and any specific requirements.
www.epa.gov/plugin
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Many refurbishers will also clear all corporate data from the
machines using software that follows U.S. Department of
Defense 5220.22-M guidelines. These software packages
systematically overwrite all addressable locations on your hard
drive with a character, then its complement, and then a random
character, then verifies that this was done. In the fall of 2004,
the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA Advisory LAA-006-
2004) found that a single overwrite using Dept. of Defense
5220.22-M compliant software is sufficient to render electronic
files unrecoverable. Check with your selected refurbishertofind
out what procedures are in place for clearing data.
Clearing Corporate Data
Federal Regulations Require Data Cleansing
To protect sensitive personal and business information,
corporations operating in the United States are obliged
under a variety of laws and regulations to cleanse data from
computers they donate, recycle, or dispose of. Businesses are
responsible for finding out which regulations apply to them,
as well as researching any other regulations in the state
where they are located. Federal regulations include:
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA)
www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa
• Gramm-Leach-BlileyAct
www.ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/glbact
• Sarbanes-OxleyAct
www.aicpa.org/info/sarbanes oxley
summary.htm
• Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act
www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/itada/itadact.htm
• Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm
In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has issued its final
rule regarding the proper disposal of consumer report infor-
mation and records under the Fair and Accurate Credit Trans-
actions Act of 2003 (FACTA) and the Fair Credit Reporting
Act. The latest FACTA rule requires any business that collects
and keeps consumer information, like credit card information
or employee background reports for a business purpose, to
properly dispose of such information. The new rule covers
any record about an individual, including paper, electronic,
or other form. It is designed to cut down on identity theft by,
among other methods, restricting the ability of thieves to
go "dumpster diving" for valuable consumer information in
discarded business records. Also, it is in the best interest
of companies to make sure that their confidential business
information, such as business plans and product designs,
are protected and removed from hard drives before they are
passed on to the next user. A plain language description of
FACTA can be found at
Clearing Data Yourself
If you decide to clean your computer yourself, you can pur-
chase software via the following commercial sites, or obtain
them for free at shareware sites:
Commercial Windows Disk Cleaning Software
• Blancco Data Cleaner
www.blancco.com
• WipeDrive
www.accessdata.com/products/wipe
• CyberCide Data Destruction
www.cyberscrub.com/products/cybercide/
index.php
Pass It On!
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DataEraser
www.ontrack.com/dataeraser
DiskEraser
www.comtechnologies.com
Clean Disk Security
www.diskcleaners.com/clndisk.html
DriveScrubber
www.batchconverter.com/
DriveScrubber-download-13267.shtml
East-Tec Sanitizer
www.east-tec.com/disposesecure
Stellar Disk Wipe
www.stellarinfo.com/file-eraser.htm
Paragon Disk Wiper
www.disk-wiper.net
Pinion Sanitizer
www.infraworks.com/sanitizer.php
UniShred Pro
www.lat.com/0ur Products.html
Wipedrive
www.whitecanyon.com
Wipe Info feature in Norton Utilities and System Works
www.symantec.com
Freeware Windows Disk Cleaning Software (all
available at www.shareware.com)
• Active® Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser
www.killdisk.com/eraser.htm
• Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN)
dban.sourceforge.net/
• BCWipe
www.download.com/3000-2092-10397897.html
Macintosh Disk Cleaning Software
• Shredlt
www.mireth.com/pub/sxme.html
• SuperScrubber
www.superscrubber.com
• Wipe Info feature in Norton Utilities (using this, you can
delete single documents and files)
www.symantec.com
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Other Resources
In addition to the following resources, Internet searches on
"donating computers" will also turn up potential nonprofit
umbrella organizations or clearinghouses:
• Reusing and Donating Electronics on EPA's eCycling Web
site provides general information on the subject.
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/
ecycling/basic.htm
• National Cristina Foundation provides computer tech-
nology and solutions to nonprofit organizations, public
agencies, and schools in all 50 states to give people with
disabilities, students at risk and economically disadvan-
taged persons the opportunity, through training, to lead
more independent and productive lives.
www.cristina.org
• Check with your local Goodwill before donating.
www.goodwill.org/page/guesVabouV
howweoperate/donations/
tipsfordonatingacomputer
• Computers for Learning (CFL) places computers in our
classrooms and prepares our children to contribute and
compete in the 21 st century. The CFL Web site con-
nects the registered needs of schools and educational
nonprofit organizations with computer equipment made
available free of charge from government agencies and
the private sector.
www.computers.fed.gov/public/aboutProg.asp
• The MAR Program was created to increase the number
of usable PCs available to nonprofits, schools, and low-
income families across the globe by reducing the cost of
software to refurbishers. The MAR Program also benefits
the environment by giving new life to a significant
number of computers that may otherwise be destined for
landfills.
www.techsoup.org/mar/default.aspx
• The Federal Electronics Challenge's (FEC's) Introduction
to Donating Electronics addresses liability management
issues related to donations and guidance to provide
recipients of electronic equipment. This resource also
has information on donation programs within the context
oftheFEC.
www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/tools/
reusepr.pdf
This fact sheet was developed jointly by Computer Recycling Center/Computers in Education, Computer Recycling For
Education, Computers for Schools, Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Hargadon Computer, Intel, National Cristina
Foundation, Rethink, San Francisco Dept. of Environment, Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT) Silicon Valley,
Tech Soup (Compumentor), Truecycle, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Plug-In To eCycling program.
FEC provides a detailed checklist to assist you in select-
ing a refurbisher.
www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/Tools/
select.pdf
The Electronic Industries Alliance provides links to reuse
and recycling organizations.
www.eiae.org
eBay ReThink's data migration and erasure tools.
pages.ebay.com/rethink/pcsz/datatools.html
NAID (National Association for Information Destruction)
certified recyclers and refurbishers.
www.naidonline.org/certified members.html
Federal Electronics Challenge - U.S. government recom-
mendations for end-of-life management of electronic
equipment.
www.federalelectronicschallenge.neV
eolmngt.htm
Technical Asset Protection Association (TAPA) - Asso-
ciation of security professionals from high technology
companies and the logistics industry, organized to es-
tablish and maintain asset protection—generally during
shipment of products—for the technology industry by
leveraging best practices and common experiences of its
membership.
www.tapaonline.org/new/engl/index.html
Information Security Product Destruction News -
A bi-monthly trade journal on data destruction.
www.ispdnews.com
Recycling Today Magazine online section on secure
destruction business.
www.recyclingtoday.com/categories/
subcategory.asp?CatlD=36
SDB - Secure Destruction Business Magazine - another
data destruction trade publication.
www.sdbmagazine.com
EPA530-F-07-004
May 2007
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