Reusing Old Hardware

The cluster discusses alternatives to recycling or discarding old computers, laptops, and enterprise hardware, such as reselling on eBay or Craigslist, donating to hackerspaces, or keeping as backups to avoid e-waste. Commenters emphasize the value of refurbished markets and lament institutions' bulk destruction of functional devices.

📉 Falling 0.4x Hardware
3,952
Comments
20
Years Active
5
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#3788
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Keywords

e.g GP AWS GCP HW IP recycling donate computers sell laptop laptops resell throw throw away ebay

Sample Comments

jccooper Apr 12, 2022 View on HN

At least resell it. Plenty of people out there still using them.

xandrius Nov 9, 2025 View on HN

I'd be glad to take any sweet obsolete enterprise HW off them.

logn Oct 22, 2013 View on HN

Find a local hackerspace. They'll probably take them and re-use them or dispose/sell them for you.

driverdan Jul 7, 2018 View on HN

That's not recycling. That's decommissioning and reselling good hardware.

megous Jun 21, 2017 View on HN

Not really, there's big refurbished computers market, where this stuff ends up.

pvillano Jan 22, 2022 View on HN

lol. you could also donate the old laptop

lousken Jul 11, 2020 View on HN

I never resell stuff, I upgrade my phone, pc and laptop once every 6 years and keep the previous as a backup. And the one before that i disassemble to parts and only keep those if they're still useable (and useful e.g. if i repair a family members pc) or throw them away.

thumbuddy Jul 12, 2023 View on HN

Most laptops end up in the trash because of the case, keyboards, etc. If you keep it headless why not.

ta17711771 Jul 26, 2020 View on HN

Could be a comfort thing, could be a "don't want to throw away perfectly good hardware" thing.

ortusdux Aug 8, 2024 View on HN

Donate the dusty ones to the nearest hacker/makerspace?