The E-Waste & Metal Recovery Hub
Turning discarded electronics into valuable materials.
E-waste, or electronic waste, refers to discarded electrical or electronic devices: the fastest-growing waste stream in the world, ranging from computers and phones to large appliances. It's a dual threat and opportunity. Improper disposal releases toxins like lead, mercury, and cadmium, but e-waste also contains recoverable precious metals like gold, silver, copper, and palladium. One metric ton of computer e-waste can contain more gold than 17 tons of gold ore.
Need Your Old Computers Picked Up?
I personally collect retired computers and IT equipment from a handful of local Topeka businesses. Everything gets broken down by hand: RAM pulled, CPUs separated, circuit boards and hard drive boards sorted. Then the boards go on to certified processing. If your business has old desktops, servers, or networking equipment piling up in a closet, I may be able to help clear it out responsibly.
Pickup
I come to your location in the Topeka area and haul off old computers, servers, and IT equipment.
Breakdown & Sort
Everything is broken down by hand: RAM, CPUs, circuit boards, and hard drive boards are separated by component.
Responsible Processing
Sorted boards go on to trusted processors like Boardsort, and nothing gets landfilled or dumped overseas.
I currently work with a couple of great local businesses on a regular basis, and I'm always open to taking on a few more. If that's you, I'd love to hear from you.
Get in TouchData Sanitization & Certificate of Destruction
Every drive that comes through pickup gets sanitized to NIST 800-88 standards before anything is resold, recycled, or scrapped, not just wiped and hoped for the best.
Clear
A standard overwrite pass through the drive's normal interface. Fine for media staying inside an organization, but not enough on its own once a drive is leaving your control.
Purge
Cryptographic erase, ATA/NVMe Secure Erase, or degaussing: methods that make recovery infeasible even with lab equipment. What most drives being resold or recycled need.
Destroy
Physical destruction (shredding or disintegration) for the highest-sensitivity data, or any media type (like optical discs) where Purge isn't reliably achievable.
The mistake most people make: “I overwrote it, it's fine”
Overwriting works reliably on a spinning HDD. It is not sufficient on its own for an SSD or NVMe drive. Wear-leveling means a logical overwrite can leave old data sitting in physical cells the drive never lets you touch again. SSDs need a cryptographic erase or a manufacturer Secure Erase/Sanitize command instead. Likewise, a factory reset on a phone or tablet is Clear-level only, not a true Purge. Keep that in mind if you're handing off a device that ever held sensitive data.
| Media Type | Recommended Method | Category |
|---|---|---|
| HDD (magnetic) | Single-pass overwrite, or degauss | Clear / Purge |
| SSD / NVMe | Cryptographic erase, or ATA/NVMe Secure Erase | Purge |
| Self-encrypting drive | Cryptographic erase (destroy the key) | Purge |
| Optical media | Shred, disintegrate, or incinerate | Destroy |
| Mobile devices | Factory reset (Clear only), crypto erase where supported | Clear |
What's on a Certificate of Destruction
- Make, model, and serial number of the media and its parent device
- Sanitization category and exact method used, with the date performed
- Who performed it (and a witness, for higher-sensitivity jobs)
- Where the media went afterward: resold, recycled, or destroyed
- An attestation that the process followed NIST 800-88 Rev. 1
Need documentation for an audit?
If your business needs a signed Certificate of Destruction and a logged chain of custody for equipment I pick up, not just “it's handled”, ask and I'll provide one.
Why E-Recycling is Critical
Resource Conservation
Reduces the need for energy-intensive mining, conserving natural resources and cutting the carbon footprint.
Environmental Protection
Proper processing prevents toxic materials from contaminating soil and water, safeguarding ecosystems and health.
Economic Value
Recovering high-value metals supports a domestic supply chain, "green jobs," and turns waste into an asset.
Where to Sell, Grade & Reference
Turn what you've sorted into cash, and know what you're holding before you ship it.
Boardsort.com: The Complete Electronic Scrap Resource
Boardsort is a premier buyer of scrap circuit boards and computer chips, purchasing material by the pound, with a highly transparent and systematic process for sellers.
- Highlight Payouts: Current payout rates are listed online. High-value items, such as 386/486 CPUs, can sometimes fetch hundreds of dollars per pound.
- In-Person vs. Shipping: Physically located in Alliance, Ohio, but they excel at processing mailed-in scrap: package your boards, ship them in, and get paid via check or PayPal.
"I ship every board I sort straight to Boardsort. They're upfront about pricing, they pay fast, and they're just easy to deal with. That's the part that keeps me coming back."
— Brandon, on why Boardsort is my go-to
Identification & Grading
Grading Tutorials & Guides
Photo and video tutorials showing how to grade, sort, and clean motherboards and identify classes of scrap circuit boards.
Identification Forum
Not sure what category a board belongs in? Post pictures to the Boardsort forum for expert help before shipping.
Quick Reference: High-Value Scrap
| Component Type | Description | Value Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic CPUs (386/486) | Older, gold-capped or pins-heavy processors. | Highest |
| Telecom / High-Grade Boards | Boards densely populated with gold plating and IC chips from telecom gear. | High |
| Gold RAM (Memory) | Computer RAM sticks with gold-plated contact fingers. | High |
| Motherboards (Large Socket) | Standard desktop PC motherboards (batteries and heatsinks removed). | Medium |
Find a Recycler & Certifications
Locate a drop-off near you, and know what R2 / e-Stewards certification means.
Earth911
Nationwide locator for electronics, batteries, and many other recyclable materials.
Greener Gadgets
CTA directory for responsible gadget recycling and trade-in options.
Call2Recycle
Free drop-off and mail-in options for rechargeable batteries and select portable electronics.
EPA Electronics Recycling Guide
U.S. EPA overview of donation, recycling, and how to reduce e-waste at the source.
Certified Recyclers (R2 / e-Stewards)
R2 and e-Stewards set standards for data security, environmental protection, and worker safety.
Before You Recycle (Checklist)
A few minutes of prep protects your data and keeps recyclers safe.
Data wipe
A plain overwrite is fine for a spinning hard drive, but SSDs need a cryptographic erase or Secure Erase instead. See Data Sanitization above.
Remove batteries
Take out lithium-ion and other rechargeable batteries when possible. Many centers accept batteries separately through programs like Call2Recycle.
Factory reset
On phones, tablets, and smart devices, sign out of accounts and factory reset after backing up and removing SIM or memory cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about responsible e-waste disposal.
What counts as e-waste? +
E-waste includes any discarded device with a plug, battery, or circuit board: computers, phones, TVs, printers, cables, and large appliances. Even small items like earbuds and smart home gadgets qualify.
Can I put electronics in my regular trash? +
In most areas, you should not. Many states and municipalities ban electronics from landfills because of lead, mercury, and lithium batteries. Use a certified recycler or retailer take-back program instead.
Do I need to erase my data before recycling? +
Assume any device you recycle could be accessed, so yes. Overwriting works for a standard hard drive, but SSDs and NVMe drives need a cryptographic erase or Secure Erase command instead; wear-leveling can leave old data sitting in cells a plain overwrite never touches. See the Data Sanitization section above for the full method-by-media breakdown.
Do you provide a Certificate of Destruction? +
I provide one on request for business pickups. It documents the media and parent device serial numbers, the sanitization category and method used (Clear, Purge, or Destroy per NIST 800-88 Rev. 1), who performed it, and where the media ended up, which is useful if you need to show an auditor or client that old equipment was handled properly.
What is the difference between R2 and e-Stewards? +
Both are independent certification programs for electronics recyclers. R2 (Sustainable Electronics) is widely used in North America and focuses on reuse, recovery, and environmental health. e-Stewards prohibits export of hazardous e-waste to developing countries and emphasizes ethical downstream processing.
Should batteries be recycled separately? +
Often, yes. Lithium-ion and other rechargeables can be fire hazards if damaged or crushed. Remove them when you can and use a battery-specific drop-off. Many electronics recyclers accept whole devices but may route batteries through specialized handlers.
More Tools & Communities
A few extra resources for the aspiring scrapper.