In years gone by, Tooele City Police disposed of the city’s old hard drives at the local shooting range. But no more.
Earlier this year the city drafted a new policy on procedures for disposing of excess technology-related equipment such as broken or inoperable computers, servers, fax machines and the like.
Like similar city resolutions regarding the disposal of surplus material, the new policy allows the city council to determine how best to remove unwanted property from the city’s care—be it an auction, a dumpster, or in this case, a recycling company.
This first time around, the city plans to work with a Salt Lake City company, A&D Computers, which has suggested it will remove and recycle the old machines without charging the city. Working with the recycling company will save the city money, said Tooele City Recorder Michelle Pitt, because most companies would charge a fee to collect and dispose of old electronics.
Both the city and A&D Computers will also employ more modern means to wipe and destroy any remaining hard drives, added Pitt.
Prior to the new policy, the city had no guidelines for dealing with electronics waste. For the last ten years or so, the city has stripped old machines of any useful components and dumped what remained in a pile in city hall’s basement.
The city didn’t want to throw the e-waste out with the trash, said Pitt. Many old electronics contain harmful materials that can contaminate soil and water if buried at a landfill. So the pile continued to grow.
“We have—a little build up down there,” she said, adding that the surplused property included items such as a 20-year-old fax machine. The last time it broke down, the city discovered the part it required was no longer made, she said.
Though the new policy doesn’t require any kind of regular action from the city, Pitt, the policy’s author, said she hopes the pile won’t be quite as large the next time around.
“I don’t want it to build up again as much as it did this time before we take it to the council,” she said.