Annual Office Clean-Out: The Electronics Graveyard

This tip is counter-intuitive - it won't save you time or effort. It will, however, transfer unused old equipment to someone who can use it, possibly net you a few dollars, and clear out your office junk closet. You know, the place you throw old adaptors, computers, phones, etc. 'just in case' you need them again.


I spent the evening on E-Bay, listing for sale a partial box of 90 minute blank audio cassettes, an AC adaptor for a digital camera that died, and a RF modulator. All had been residing in my office closet for over a year. E-Bay is offering free insertion fees for up to 100 auction-style listings until September 7.  That means you pay nothing unless your item sells. Next week, I'll let you know how I did. 


Larger companies should check out RecycleMatch, which allows you to list your materials and find a match of someone looking for those materials.


If my items don't sell, I'll list them on Craig's list for free. vcmax.org is another resource where I can list items for free. I start with E-Bay because they have a larger potential audience, thus a better chance at finding someone who can use the items. Also, all the items I listed are small enough to ship easily. Craig's list is more local, but fine for items you don't want to ship. When listing free items, I always stipulate 'must pick-up'.


I'm also collecting old CD's for recycling. Flash drives are much better storage devices, and can be used over and over. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of CD's sitting in offices and in desks. CD Recycling Center has recycling programs for individuals, companies, and corporations with multiple locations.


I encourage you to spend a few minutes identifying what unused equipment is lurking in your closet or desk, and use one of these resources to find them new homes.


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