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132 P P a r t I I I : a r t I I I : W h a t Y o u C a n D oh a t Y o u C a n D o

Refurbishing
Whereas recyclers use means to completely dispose of computers, computer refurbishers
recondition discarded computers to get them in working order. This work is most often
done by commercial refurbishers such as Dell Refurbished, IBM Refurbished, and Amandi
Services. There are also noncommercial refurbishers, which are usually nonprofits or school
programs.
When a refurbisher receives discarded computers, it tests them, extracts useable parts
from computers that are not repairable, and then fixes the ones that can be fixed. Generally
speaking, one working computer can be built from two or three discarded machines. This is
illustrated in Figure 7-3. Nonworking computers are sent to a recycler.
An important part of refurbishing is wiping, or simply reformatting hard drives to
remove existing data and installing the appropriate operating system. It costs about US$105
to refurbish a computer. These costs include labor, parts, and e-waste disposal.
The field is broken into two parts—noncommercial refurbishers and commercial
refurbishers.
Noncommercial Refurbishing
This field is composed mostly of nonprofit and school-based programs doing computer
training. This market turns around reused computers and provides them to low-income
families. More than 70 percent of noncommercial computer reuse is sent to schools.
CompuMentor—an organization that helps provide PCs and other technology to
low-income individuals—estimates that there are as many as 500 programs in the U.S.,
with an average capacity of 200 computers per year.
Larger programs—such as Computers for Schools Canada; Per Scholas in New York;
and Students Recycling Used Technology in Portland, Phoenix, Georgia, and Silicon
Valley—provide 10,000 or more computers each year.

Functional Functional
Components: Components:
• Processor • Ethernet
• Motherboard networking
• CD-ROM drive adapter
• Hard drive
• USB adapter

Components from other two
computers added to components of
this computer make a complete and
functional device.

FIGURE 7-3 Generally speaking, it takes the components of three computers to make one,
functional computer.