Keep old electronics out of the trash by taking a moment to find a recycling center in your area. Tell Earth911.com your zipcode and what you want to recycle, and you’ll get a list of local centers. For consumer electronics, Reconnect will likely top out the list. This is a partnership with Dell and participating Goodwill donation centers.

Loud clanging sounds coming from your home printer are not a good sign of its overall health. When it finally refuses to print, it’s time to say goodbye. For a while I tried to simply live without one. What’s wrong with pen and paper? For one, sloppy handwriting. Driving directions scribbled hastily while trying to get kids out the door on time. Online forms. When I found myself asking a neighbor to print a form for my son’s school that *had* to be turned in the next morning, I knew self sufficiency was worth the cost.

Printers have a lot of moving parts, so don’t expect too many years of service. This one lasted less than three years. Keep old electronics out of the trash by taking a moment to find a recycling center in your area.

Tell Earth911.com your zipcode and what you want to recycle, and you’ll get a list of local centers. Their “recyclo-pedia” includes disposal and recycling information for hazardous materials, yard waste, auto parts and more as well as electronics.

For consumer electronics, Reconnect will likely top out your list. This is a partnership with Dell and participating Goodwill donation centers. You can drop off any brand of used equipment for free, and you’ll get a receipt for tax purposes. The proceeds from your donation are all returned to Goodwill. The company promises to recycle the donations responsibly, adhering to or exceeding local regulatory compliance. Dell was also the first computer manufacturer to ban the export of non-working electronics to developing countries. Can you believe that? It’s called e-waste export.

Many major retailers will accept electronics and recycle them as well. Some charge a fee, for example Office Depot charges $10 for the required box for the printer. (It can’t be the original box – you have to buy theirs.) Across the street at Staples, they took my old printer for free and with a smile.

Just doing what I can to keep it green. Don’t forget to refill ink cartridges instead of buying new. A win for your wallet as well as the environment.