Penn State students are used to seeing recycling bins around campus for items such as newspapers and glass but, chances are, they have never seen a bin for computers. There are several options, however, for those who want to find a new use for their old machines.
Eric Hough (senior-computer engineering) and Mark Krill (senior-computer engineering) are co-founders of Computer Hardware Initiative Project (CHIP). CHIP accepts computer donations from individuals and businesses, restores them, and donates them to people in need.
"Our primary focus is on Centre County, but we try to help wherever we can," Hough said. "We have donated computers to elementary schools, retirement communities, and disabled people, among others."
People donate computers by filling out an online application, Hough said. Computers must meet CHIP's minimum requirements for donation in order to be accepted. They must have a Pentium or PowerPC (PowerMac) processor, 16 megabytes of random access memory (RAM), and a 500-megabyte hard drive. If accepted, computers are tested, refurbished, and finally donated to qualified applicants. Computers that do not meet requirements are considered for use as spare parts.
Hough and Krill's love for fixing and donating computers has taken them as far as Africa.
"Our most rewarding moment with CHIP was when we went to Ghana," Krill said. "For two weeks last May, we donated and installed 35 computers at a high school, creating a computer lab for the students there," he added.
In its four years of existence, CHIP has had such a high volume of applicants that donations are sometimes turned down.
"People want to donate their old computers, but the systems are way too slow and there's nothing we can do about it," Hough said. "Some of our rejects have included computers that were 15 years old."
CHIP, which operates out of a small room in the basement of Simmons Hall, has had a number of problems this year. While the amount of computer donations has increased, the storage space for them has not, and CHIP has stopped accepting further donations. Additionally, tighter dorm security this year has caused CHIP's members difficulty gaining access to the building.
"It's been tough this year with the 24-hour lockdown," Hough said. "We've applied for office space at the HUB. If we get it, we'll have a lot more room and can get our name out across campus."
In addition to CHIP, Penn State has many people working behind the scenes to ensure non-usable computers and their parts are recycled. The recycling process begins before the university makes any computer purchases.
"When we buy computers, we see how much energy it takes for them to operate and whether or not it's manufactured from recycled content," said Paul Ruskin, Office of Physical Plant spokesman.
"One of the goals is to minimize solid waste, especially since there is limited space in landfills," Ruskin said. "We don't want metals, heavy metals, and toxic components to decompose into the water table," he added.
Ruskin said once computers are no longer considered usable, they are stripped to the hard drive and the data is taken off. They are then shipped to a prison associated with UNICOR, the Federal Prison Industries, where they are disassembled and separated into like components. If not usable, some of the components are melted so they can be re-used and made into original, manufactured material.
If computers are in good shape, they can be re-sold to the public through the university's Salvage and Surplus Warehouse, Ruskin said.
"We do re-sell a fair number of machines in working order," said Jim Dunlop, director of procurement services. "We also sell parts -- keyboards, mice -- and people buy them as replacements for their computers.
"It's a good opportunity," Dunlop added. "People who don't have enough money for a new computer can buy a good machine."
Ruskin agreed, saying purchasing a used computer allows students to get a functional computer at an affordable price.
"It's a good service and a great opportunity for students on a budget to buy a very usable computer. They are not necessarily the fastest and the newest, but they get the job done," he said.
Students interested in helping CHIP can contact Hough or Krill.
"Even if you don't know anything about computers, we'll be there to help you learn about them," Hough said.
