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Current PC System Segment Valuations: April - December 2011 

 (Download Full Valuation List Here -{MS Word Format})

Conversely, items with significant recovery value include items in original factory sealed containers regardless of manufacture date, 100/1000 Network Appliances, Pentium Core 2 Laptops, Hi-End Telephone Equipment, Cash Handling Machines, Hi-End Test Equipment, Bales of Copper Tubing or HD Wire, Institutional Optics, Commercial Grade High-End AV Equipment, Shrink-wrapped Software, Supplies, Expendables.

Recycling Efforts Review

• General Information
• Computer Equipment Disposal
• How does Bizmarts fit into the Recycling Industry
• Understanding the Codes Shown on Plastic Products
• Tips to Help You Reduce the Amount of Waste You Contribute to Landfills

General Information 

"How much waste do you think the average U.S. citizen produces each year?

According to the EPA¹, the average U.S. citizen produced 4.4 pounds of waste per day. This is the equivalent of over 1600 pounds of trash per year per person, or more than 220 tons of waste that is potentially being dumped into our landfills each year.

Our trash comes from many sources, including bottles, boxes, cans, yard trimmings, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, newspapers, and much more. Americans are disposing of several million tons of tires, appliances, furniture, paper, clothing, and other durable and non-durable goods into landfills. Packaging waste, including glass, aluminum, plastics, metals, paper, and paperboard, also contributes significantly to our annual waste totals. Even yard trimmings such as grass clippings and tree limbs are also a substantial part of what we throw away.

According to the EPA, below are the types and percentages of waste products generated by Americans today.

How many of the types of trash shown above do you think can be reused or recycled?

The good news? Americans are embracing recycling programs in records numbers. The EPA estimated that over 35% of the waste produced by Americans during 2005-2008 actually ended up in recycling programs. Commonly recycled items include certain plastics, paper, and cardboard.

Certain communities and businesses have also established recycling programs for some of the more toxic products produced by our society, including batteries, printer/toner cartridges, computers, and even used oil!"

Computer End-Of-Life and Disposal   (by Richard Pressl @ Bizmarts)

A significant source of new waste material to be processed is ewaste, electronic equipment such as computers, television sets, CRT's, printers, and related peripherals. It has been estimated that upwards of 20 million personal computers were disposed of last year, and less than 15% were recycled or reused.

The computer revolution that began in earnest in 1984 started with machine designs that lasted for several years. For example, the early Macintosh Powerbooks than began with the series 140 in the late 1980's were not significantly different in size, look, or type of components from the series 165 which came five years later. Such is no longer the case, as manufacturers change their machines due to styling, performance or cost concerns on a daily basis.

Currently the several hundred million pieces of PC equipment created prior to Pentium III stage processors are now so outdated they are not being used, and will enter the disposal sequence in the next few years. IDC, a technology analysis company, estimated that three-quarters of all computers ever bought in the U.S. are stored in people's homes, and that by 2006, more than 350 million obsolete computers from both homes and businesses will have to be processed for disposal. 

IDC also estimated that most corporations store deactivated equipment for up to three years at a cost of about $360 per PC, and then pay an additional $218 for it's eventual disposal. The cost of refurbishing these machines for resale is $318 with a average wholesale price of $200. As is the case with new automobiles, the biggest decline in the value of a computer occurs in the first few months, with the resale value of most equipment becoming nominal, or negative within five years.

The most onerous piece of equipment to process for recycling are the CRTs, Televisions, and Computer Monitors which are bulky, quick to become cosmetically un-saleable, and contain significant amounts of lead, glass, plastics, and other non-recyclables. Most landfills in the U.S. have posted signs at their entrances that state they will not accept these items for disposal. Given the low salvage value of the constituent elements in these products, the toxicity of certain elements such as the approximately four pounds of lead in each PC monitor, and the difficulty of breaking these down into salvageable parts assures that a steady stream of this material will be sent to developing countries for breakdown.

Many of Bizmarts customers have not maintained accurate valuations of the equipment they have on hand. They can go to online auction websites such as eBay or Yahoo, but without being familiar with the websites protocols, equipment models, serial numbers, digital photography, software licensing rules, packaging and shipping requirements they generally overvalue their equipment by 35-40%. Combining this with buyers general intent of purchasing at 60% of value it becomes increasingly difficult to place a reasonable value on computer equipment.

Regulation of ewaste by Georgia Local, State, and Federal Governments is much more fractured and ineffective than in other places such as the New England States and Europe. States such as California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Ohio have been in the forefront of effects to properly handle this deluge; but even programs such as the Federal EPA's Common Sense Initiative have not created significant plans, policies, or procedures for monitoring, or altering the impending overflow.

Some positive signs have appeared such as recent moves by major manufacturers to offer Buy-Back policies, or offer to accept any PC equipment sent back to them for reprocessing at a nominal cost. Pending EPA and States laws are coming into effect which prohibit the disposal of CRT and Computer Equipment by large entities without suitable protections; but in most cases individuals and companies disposing of less than 11,000 pounds will not be subject to mandatory controls.

In short, recommendations by concerned parties center around efforts to recycle, reuse, or reclaim as much as possible of the ewaste. As consumers we can lobby for more eco-friendly equipment from computer manufacturers, more carrot and stick measures toward lengthening the life cycle and salvage-ability of PC's, and less blame and restrictions on end-users who are stuck with products that are no longer functionally useful.

How does Bizmarts fit in the Recycling Industry  (by Richard Pressl @ Bizmarts)

Since we began operations in Cherokee County during the Summer of 1996, our efforts have been focused on two primary goals:

1. To provide support for maximum purchase, use, and reuse of equipment based on customer requirements.
2. To provide unbiased, timely, and appropriate guidance to consumers faced with information systems technical and support needs
3. To provide a professional outlet for the sale, refurbishment, reclamation, and recycling of almost any electronic equipment.

We recognized early on that many buyers wanted computer technology solutions; but did not have the time, interest, funding, or dedication to obtain what they needed or wanted. Every effort was made to find the lowest cost reasonable solution, counter the misinformation provided by others, and not succumb to the built-in obsolescence factor favored by manufacturers and other resellers.

The last nine years has seen a plethora of one-way streets, from OS/2 to Net PC's, from Betamax to Vax, from Token Ring Networks to Windows ME. Seeing a customer spend $1000 on an inappropriate device or system was actually painful for us, in part because it's failures usually became apparent in the short term.

At our Retail Stores in Canton we generally charged less, did a better job, and avoided temptations that others around us adopted which did not have the best interest of our customers at heart. We were on a mission, not to save the world; but rather to provide quality goods and services at a modest price.

Beginning in the Spring of 2002 Bizmarts signed agreements with select National and International Companies to buy and sell surplus systems and components. By the Summer of 2002 we had begun working with firms that are capable of large-scale disassembly at the material level. For example, previously un-saleable 386 and 486 CPU's were sent to firms that could reclaim the gold content of the chips, then forward the remainder to another firm that remanufactured it into industrial products.

Bizmarts depends on the continued involvement of smaller firms in our enterprise activity. We are neither large enough nor predisposed by temperament toward large-scale operations. While we maintain several temporary storage facilities in the Atlanta Metro area, we ship the majority of reclaimed merchandise out-of-state for further processing.

It costs us about 25 cents per pound of CPU hardware, or 50 cents per pound of CRT material to properly forward this material to firms who dismantle/disassemble/reclaim elementary matter from EOL machines. We attempt to balance this cost by obtaining resalable items along with the scrap. We charge only $6 to remove EOL monitors from our customers knowing that a higher price would probably make a landfill dump too appealing an option.

Dismantling of computer equipment is a tedious, and hazardous process. Most of the edges inside computers are razor sharp, there is little uniformity of design to guide reclamations, and many parts of equipment consist of compound elements such as a plastic covering over a piece of base metal with copper wires passing through it. At the mechanical and molecular level, reclamation, by necessity, entails the use of some very sophisticated equipment, and some potentially hazardous chemical substances.

However, the computer recycling industry is not alone in its date with destiny with regard to pending laws and regulations covering the disposal of EOL equipment. Automobiles, Televisions, and billions of pounds of manufactured products will reach EOL status over the next several years. The popularity of flea markets, online auction sites, and warehouse clubs amply testify to the premise that we Americans have been much too free with our acquisition patterns, with little regard for it's inevitable consequences.

Bizmarts wants to be of service to entities that need to process from five to a hundred pieces of equipment at a time. Our business model does not currently permit us to handle smaller, or larger processing at this time. For maximum utilization of our solutions, we need to know the answers to several important considerations:

1. What is the equipment to be processed, by quantity, model, condition, and location
2. What is the intended frequency of additional equipment disposal
3. What are the customer's expectations about disposal costs, or payments for the equipment
4. What is the time frame for actions to be taken, and who is the person to contact onsite
5. What manner of disposal is acceptable: outright purchase, consignment, online or onsite auctions, second party pickups
6. What paperwork, forms, or agreements need to be completed to satisfy customer, governmental, or security issues

Most of these concerns can readily be addressed by phone, fax, or email. Bizmarts will be happy to make onsite equipment valuations given a reasonable advance notification. In most cases there is no charge for onsite valuations that do not require itemized bids. Please contact us for further information about processing your equipment at: Fax: (678)374-4653, or Voice: (770)345-4663). 

Understanding the Codes Shown on Plastic Products

"Have you ever wondered what those codes mean on the bottom of plastic bottles, jugs, and containers?

The Society of the Plastics Industry developed a numerical coding system in the late 1980s to help indicate which plastic material has been used for a given product. There are six different types of plastic resins that are commonly used to package household products. An explanation for each code is provided below:

"1" - PETE or Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

PET is used to produce soda and water containers as well as some waterproof packaging. The largest use for recycled PET is in textiles. Carpet companies often use 100% recycled resin to manufacturer polyester carpets. PET is also spun to make fiber fillings for pillows, quilts, and jackets. PET can be rolled into clear sheets or ribbon for video and audio cassettes. In addition, a substantial quantity goes back into the bottle market. Many community recycling programs accept plastic products labeled with a "1."

"2" - HDPE or High-Density Polyethylene

HDPE is used to produce milk, detergent, and oil bottles, as well as toys and plastic bags. Recycled HDPE is used for plastic pipes, lumber, flower pots, trash cans, or formed into bottles for nonfood applications. Many community recycling programs accept plastic products labeled with a "2."

"3" - V Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Used to produce food wrap, vegetable oil bottles, blister packages. Some community recycling programs do not take plastics labeled with a "3."

"4" - LDPE Low-Density Polyethylene

Used for plastic bags, shrink wrap, or garment bags. Some community recycling programs do not accept plastics labeled with a "4."

"5" - PP Polypropylene.

Used to produce refrigerated containers, some bags, most bottle tops, some carpets, some food wrap. Some community recycling programs do not accept plastics labeled with a "5."

"6" - PS Polystyrene

Used for throwaway utensils, meat packing, and protective packing. Some community recycling programs will accept plastics labeled with a "6."

"7" - Other

Occasionally, you may see a product labeled as a "7" or "Other." These products are usually layered or contain mixed plastics. According to the plastics industry, there is no recycling potential for these products.

Tips to Help You Reduce Your Trash

• Reuse products. If you do not have a recycling program in your community, or if the material or product is not currently recyclable, try to find another use for the product rather than throwing it away.
• Compost organic material. Composting yard trimmings, food scraps, and other organic wastes can dramatically reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills. To learn more about how to set up your own composting bin, the EPA has developed an online Composting Is Easy guide, which consumers can access via the EPA web site at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/catbook/compost.htm.
• Use paper bags rather than plastic. Ask your grocer to carry paper grocery bags instead of plastic, or return plastic bags to grocer.
• Sell or donate products you can no longer use, such as clothing and furniture.
• Recycle, recycle, recycle!!! Take advantage of your community's recycling program, if one is available. If your community does not have such a program, volunteer to start one. Some organizations estimate that the average family can reduce their weekly waste by 50% through recycling paper, cardboard, cans, plastic bottles, and other recyclable materials.
• Use products made from recycled material whenever possible. Support recycling efforts by purchasing products made from recycled materials.
• Use rechargeable batteries. Using rechargeable batteries not only helps to reduce waste, but it also helps keep the toxic metals found in some batteries out of landfills.
• Donate or recycle your old computer. Computers contain many materials that are considered toxic and should not be disposed of in a landfill. Rather than throwing out that old computer, see if any local charities, schools, or senior citizen centers can use the computer system. Or, contact the manufacturer of your old computer (or the new one you just purchased) to see if they have a recycling program for older computers"
• Lobby appointed and elected officials in support of programs that foster more readily upgradeable and reusable systems, and penalize companies that intentionally ignore ecological aspects of their products.
• Slow down purchasing, and consumption of expendables. We buy refrigerators and expect them to last for twenty years; but are convinced by advertising, ego, or competitiveness that a car is only good for five years, a computer for two years, and software upgrades an annual necessity  
• Remember the five R's:  Reduce, Refurbish, Re-Use, Recycle, Remanufacture

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