Computers

RU is now able to collect computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners and any other device that plugs in to your computer. There is a fee of $5 per monitor to cover shipping of the glass for recycling but everything else is free! We can not collect any other electronics at this time!  (Sorry, but this means no TV's, no microwaves, no telephones except cell phones, no stereo equipment, nothing but computers and their components.)  For CD's and disks, visit our links page, under CD's.

The computers are collected as a donation to the "Computers for Schools" program run by Utah Correctional Industries (UCI). Good computers and components will be refurbished and provided to the "Computers for Kids" program for reuse, the rest will be demanufactured at UCI's facility in Gunnison, Utah.

Here is what happens to the computers and equipment once they arrive in Gunnison. (All labor is done by inmates as part of their training program):

• Hard disks are erased by running nine passes of Disk Wipe software. This is the same process the FBI specifies for their hard drives. For more information about how disk wipe works see http://www.dtidata.com/products_disk_wipe.asp.
• Plastic is purchased by Plastic Nation, a plastic recycler located in Boca Raton, Florida (www.plasticrecyclers.com, 561-482-9300). They pelletize it and ship it overseas.
• Tin, copper and aluminum are sold to Western Metals in Salt Lake City. The tin is shredded and sold to Nucor.
• Glass is shipped to Dlubak in Yuma, Arizona. They make it into cathode ray tubes. Their EPA # is OH0000186924.
• Wire, components and boards are incinerated by Cascade Refining. Their EPA # is 1113385. All plastic is burned off on a two stage clean burn process, the fiberglass is mixed with soda ash and made into flux, all metals (palladium, nickel, platinum, copper, silver, gold) are slagged and sent off for electrolysis and further refining.
• Processor chips are placed into solutions of hydrochloric and nitric acids and the gold, silver and stainless steel are leached from the ceramic material. The ceramic is ground to powder and sold.

1951 Woodbine Way,  P.O. Box 682998, Park City, UT 84068 
(435) 649-9698 - (fax) 658-1530