My Wife says I’m a “Packrat”

I hate to throw something away if it could possibly be used somewhere at a later date. One example of this is my hobby of refurbishing and repurposing older computers. My wife has at times compared our home to a computer graveyard, since there are computer parts in practically every room of our house. As technology advances the older parts get harder to acquire hence my tendency to hang on to parts.

I know many good reusable parts as well as complete computers are getting thrown away and are finding their way into landfills when they could easily be repurposed or recycled. This is hazardous to our environment because of the chemicals and heavy metals in the electronic parts, circuit boards and picture tubes.

A good example of this is computer monitors, the older picture tube type or CRT types have large amounts of lead in them. I personally know people who have bought a new computer and have put the old one in the garbage. Most of the time, when purchasing a new computer, you can reuse the monitor, keyboard and mouse you already have. This can help you save money when buying the new computer because you don’t have to purchase the monitor and other hardware, just the tower. In this case making the effort to “Go Green” can save you $Green$.

Viruses are another reason people buy a new computer. I’ve had computers given to me because they’ve gotten a virus in them and people figure they are no longer any good. Viruses damage the information you have on the computer they do not damage the hardware i.e. the tower or more specifically the hard drive. Worst case scenario you’ll lose your information and personal data. I realize and understand that this in itself can be disastrous, but the physical hard drive can be erased, reformatted and then reused. There’s no need to throw them away.

In our area there are “Thrift” or “Second Hand” stores that benefit the handicapped. If you’ve decided to upgrade your computer consider donating your old one. This keeps it out of landfills and benefits less fortunate persons in your area. Be sure to completely erase or “Secure Erase” your information before you donate it.

I don’t think there are many municipalities that do not have some sort of recycling program in place. Do a little research and make the effort to recycle, not only your computer parts, but all of your old electronics. This, along with recycling the standard things like, paper, glass, aluminum etc., can have a positive impact on our environment.

This is just one more way we can “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” and all it takes is a little bit of “Rethinking”. What we use directly correlates with what we discard. We want to encourage everyone to keep this in mind when making choices about the products you use on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Choose “Environmentally Friendly”, “Non-Toxic”, “Truly Green” products whenever possible.

Another way our family is making an effort to make a “Green Difference” is by the use of non-toxic, eco-friendly “Green Products” from BioGreen Systems Inc. Our choice of products, the products we use on a regular basis for cleaning, laundry and personal care, are products that are truly “Green”. This is one more way we all can have a share in protecting our environment. To learn more about this line of high quality “Green Products” visit us at Going Green 2Day.