If you're getting rid of an old computer or trashing a completely broken system, don't just throw it in the garbage. Along with fines and increased restrictions on how electronic waste (e-waste) is managed, you could be throwing money away in both legal costs and lost recycling potential. To make proper disposal worth your time, take the time to contact a recycling services team to get at least a little cash back for your trouble on a few components and materials.

Hard Drive Scrap Materials

One of the most vital components is the hard drive. You could remove the hard drive and use it in future computers, but if the hard drive has completely failed or you don't have the technical skills to make such a move, there are some recyclable materials inside. 

The casing for the hard drive is made out of aluminum and may have a few steel inlays. You can remove the case by removing screws along the sides of the hard drive, as well as the circuit board. 

Not all of the weight in a hard drive is pure, valuable metals and recycling materials. The platters are made out of a glass-like, ceramic or silicon material with a cobalt-based alloy, with the valuable coating materials being too thin for scraping into a recycling pile.

The big worth in hard drives comes from the rare earth magnets. These magnets are used instead of screws for some internal hard drive components, as screws may rattle loose during the vibrations of normal operation. These magnets are not only valuable to the recycling industry, but to hobbyists interested in the curiously strong, industrially-cut shape of the magnets for their own projects.

Heat Sinks And Other Small Metal Collections

Heat sinks are used to distribute heat away from computer components. In many heat sinks, the heat is sent up into metal fins that are cooled by air through a fan or a mounted liquid cooling system.

These heat sink blocks are often made out of aluminum, but copper is also used as an aftermarket heat sink material for high-performance machines. With either type of heat sink, be careful when removing them from the computer, as the fins are quite sharp.

Heat sinks are often mounted with a thermal compound that facilitates heat transfer from the component to the heat sink, since any small air gap could mean slower transfer. Although most modern thermal pastes are relatively safe to handle, take special care when removing or cleaning. The different materials can stick to the skin without vigorous scrubbing, and can be toxic if consumed.

If you'd like to know about other materials that can be pulled from computers for recycling or would like a dedicated recycling team to handle your materials, contact a recycling services professional. To find out more, speak with a company like B-P Trucking Inc.

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