Oregon E-Cycles is a 2009 statewide program, financed by manufacturers, that provides responsible recycling of computers, monitors and TVs. After Jan. 1, 2010, anyone bringing seven or fewer items at a time may recycle their electronics at no charge at participating collection sites. Oregon E-Cycles does NOT provide free recycling of other electronic devices.
Oregon’s Electronics Recycling Law prohibits any person from disposing of computers, monitors and televisions (collectively known as “covered electronic devices” or CEDs) after Jan. 1, 2010. It also prohibits solid waste disposal facility operators from knowingly accepting these devices for disposal after that date, and requires disposal site operators to implement a program to prevent acceptance of these devices for disposal.
After the ban, throwing away these items will be illegal. They must be reused or recycled. Anyone who knowingly disposes of these items can be fined.
If your garbage and recycling is picked up at the curb: Don’t place computers, monitors and TVs in your trash, recycling bin or at the curb. Electronics require special handling and cannot be collected via your regular curbside service. If you haul your own trash: Solid waste disposal sites cannot accept computers, monitors and TVs for disposal. Lane County recycling Depot located at the Glenwood Transfer Station, accepts them for recycling. NextStep then collects these items for reuse.
Reuse offers our community members who do not have access to technology a chance to participate in the wide world. NextStep takes reuse even further and uses donated electronics as tools in our technology education program. Recycling keeps toxics out of our landfills and incinerators and conserves natural resources.
Donating just one desktop CPU for reuse is equivalent to taking 1/5 of a car off the road for a year. Donating one computer with a CRT monitor for reuse is equivalent to taking ½ of a car off the road for a year, or saving 68% of one US household’s allotment of electricity for a year. Donate your obsolete electronics today!
Donate your obsolete electronics today. Your electonics donation might end up in the hands of a child living in foster care, a family member leaving a domestically violent relationship, with a senior living in poverty, in an underfunded school or nonprofit!
Here are some facts about the donation process:
What happens to the hard drives and personal data?
If your hard drive is smaller than 500 MB, it will be dismantled (rendered completely unusable) and sent as scrap to be melted down for metal recovery. If your hard drive is 500 MB or larger, it will be cleared according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Guidelines for Media Sanitation for had drive data clearing. This writes a completely random series of "0"s and "1"s to all disk sectors, overwriting your personal data. If you have data you need to save, please do so before you donate your computer.
What are the tax benefits for corporate donors?
The IRS code provides for a tax deduction for property donated to a charitable organization such as NextStep under applicable rules and regulations. For corporate donors, tax deductions are usually limited to the amount of the donor's tax basis in the property contributed. Confirm eligibility for the deductions with your own tax advisor. Warehousing and shipping costs are also tax deductible under applicable rules and regulations.
What are the special benefits to corporations for donations of inventory?
Under IRS Section 170(e)(3), corporations that donate inventory (i.e. property sold in the normal course of business) to certain charitable organizations, such as NextStep, may receive an additional tax benefit. Section 170(e)(3) provides a deduction for corporate contributions of inventory as much as twice the donor's adjusted basis in the property. For this benefit to apply, inventory must be donated to a public charity (such as NextStep) that will use the property for the benefit of the ill, the needy or minor children. The charitable deduction for contributions of inventory (from a C corporation) will be the total of the donor's tax basis in the donated inventory plus one-half of the difference between the inventory tax basis and its fair market value. This is limited to 200% of the inventory tax basis plus any incidental costs (i.e., shipping, warehousing) associated with donating the inventory. If the fair market value of inventory is less than the donor's tax basis in the donated inventory then the charitable deduction should be equal to the fair market value. Consult your tax advisor for consideration of this option. (Tax information provided by The Cristina Foundation)