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Computers, televisions, cameras and other electronic devices have become a part of daily life, but as quickly as we buy them, these things seemed to be constantly overtaken by something better, faster and shinier. Do you have old equipment, disks, videotapes or mobile phones lying around and cluttering your home? Here are some tips for what to do with obsolete or unused electronic equipment:

1. Recycle your old computer: check with your local council or garbage removal company about recycling options in your area. Make sure that you remove all business and personal information first, you can have the hard drive professionally wiped clean. Another option, take the hard drive out and smash it with a hammer. Try to recycle as much as possible, a computer is a lot of toxic waste. As an example, Dell offers an environmentally friendly disposal of old computer equipmen: USA or Australia. Another article for you to see:

http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=56023

If the item is still in good working order you can consider donating it to a local community group. There are groups that recycle donated computers and distribute them to disadvantaged individuals and community groups.

2. Mobile phones can be recycled via programs which recycles mobile phone materials to make products such as jewellery, stainless steel prducts and plastic fence posts. In America you can donate them to Battered Women Shelters. In Australia, you can pick up an envelope from Australia Post and send off your old moblile phone, battery and recharger for recycling. Remember to take your SIM card out.

3. Convert old VHS home movies to DVD and donate, sell or throw away any old VHS tapes you have if you are unlikely to watch them anymore.

4. Transfer old floppy disk files onto CDs or an external hard drive for easy storage and destroy the floppy disks...don't hold onto them!

5. If you are hanging onto old cassette tapes or vinyl records, but you don't have a working tape or record player, convert them into MP3s or CDs. Throw those cassettes away! Some people collect quality vinyl albums and you might be able to sell them on eBay and make some (a little bit of ) money. In Australia, Lifeline accepts donations of vinyl records.

6. Sell any old cameras, whether digital or film that you have lying around. And if you have a disc camera, it's way past time to go! People collect cameras and you could make some more cash by selling them on eBay or to a second-hand camera store.

Let us know if you have other solutions!