just some simple questions about if im on the right track

So after years of puttering with junk and scrap i was laid off from my job. In my time over the winter i set out to be my own boss, so far i run an ad in the paper and have good results. Craigs and facebook work well also. But here are my real questions i started doing ewaste. At first i sold about 10 or so towers and then started breaking them down ive sold about 15 towers broke down. Im just looking for ideas as what else to take for ewaste as ive only done towers. Today i took a step out of my comfort zone and took a modem and desk phone that from what i can tell turned out to my good. I just need some guidance as what else i should accept for free (i know tvs and crts are a pain). I have an llc and bussiness account at my bank so im doing ok just looking to expand more into the ewaste side of things. At 25 or so computers a modem and phone im just getting my feet wet thanks in advance for the tips and suggestions!

I would say go slow with the e-waste. Once it's on the truck it's your responsibility. You're responsible for all of the info stored on the HDD's even if they aren't working. If you part em' out make sure the platters are destroyed. If you re-sell, see to it that they are properly wiped.

You might part out a bubble back or a flat screen tv and salvage the green board but what do you do with the rest ? You're the one responsible for seeing to it that the left over toxics are properly disposed of.

If you do something like a printer it's mostly plastic. It's generating an awful lot of waste that the municipality is going to have to pay to get rid of unless you can sell it somewhere.

It's just an opinion, but i think you have to take the bad with the good. Figure out what things you can do well and take a pass on the rest.

Invest in a hard drive wiping machine (Pull any working desktop off the pile). Get DBAN at the very least, and wipe everything, or physically destroy it. I'd keep records of all hard drive serial numbers (I like to initial and date the drives themselves with a Sharpie).

just about any thing you find these days has some kind od computer board inside

from kids toys to cars car brain boxes have good boards in them and most of them have alum cases

Originally Posted by TheDude80

Take some time and do some reading on here. If you can get a good supply of other materials (modems, routers, switches, servers, etc) then by all means take it. Something else to consider is your time. Is it worth your time to remove and break down/process boards, and sell the materials individually, or as is. These are all questions that have been asked and answered on here numerous times in the past. For me personally, if I can make a profit on something and dispose of all materials in a Eco-friendly manner, then I welcome it. I do e-waste on the side because I enjoy it and to make money (of course), but what's the point if you're doing more harm then good to the environment by not properly disposing of ALL said materials. Just my two cents....

Thank you .... you said what i wanted to say but couldn't find the words.

If we "do the right thing" it could work out well for a long time to come. If we're creating a problem someone who ardently believes in "more government" will involve themselves and demand that a bureaucracy be created to regulate the industry.

Anyone here up for serving five years as an apprentice under the direction of a master scrapper before they can sit for their written master's examination ? Maybe pay 500.00$/a year to renew your master's license ?

thanks for the tips I feel it is worth my time to sort all the boards as the guy i take my boards to only pays 15 cents a pound on complete towers when i sold last week it was 4$ a pound for ram boards and some good prices on everything else. The case is mostly iron so that goes on the back of my other truck to sell with other iron. my time isnt worth a whole lot as im selling 100+$ a day of iron and that is only a few hours so i do have free time. The only hitch so far is now that ive turned it into a llc the tax and everything else that bites into my bottom dollar. what do you guys do with all your plastic? i havent found a good way to go with that so far ive been good with my garbage can as its only my and my girlfriend. we dont generate much trash and recycle everything that is possible. it just seems the more i get into it the more waste there is.

In our nearest town, we have two independently owned metal/scrap recycling centers. I have collection points at both, so I have a bit of an interesting situation.

One place will accept our plastics for free. They don't pay nearly as much as the other yard for metals, but I send them some cases to keep them happy. They mix the plastic in, and send it all off to their processor.

All of my larger, valuable loads go to the other yard

I am also using two yards to sell stuff one handles my aluminum & trash scrap and the other handles all copper and brass and good steel.

Im new to the ewaste stuff and from what ive found hes the best around here on the prices ill have to look into other places to see what deals i can get. Around here ewaste buyers are few everyone does iron and non ferious. But as its been i only have been getting one or 2 computers a week low grade boards he dose 10 cents a pound so maybe even those would warrent a new place to sell.