Synergy Recycling Information
Teaming for Technology (T4T) is sponsored in part by Synergy Recycling, LLC located in Mayodan, NC. Synergy Recycling takes our obsolete equipment we are unable to reuse and refurbishes or disassembles it at their facility as scrap – nothing is shipped overseas for disassembly. Synergy Recycling is ISO 14001 certified.
From a pollution standpoint, reuse is by far a better option than recycling. T4T is committed to reusing everything we can; however, with rapidly changing technology, older computers donated to T4T that are not capable of efficiently running the Windows XP operating system are recycled through Synergy Recycling.
Here is what happens when you donate a computer to Teaming for Technology:
Useable Computer
- The computer’s processor speed is checked to see if it is 1Ghz or faster
- If it is, the hard drive and memory are removed
- The computer is vacuumed out and the grime is removed from the outside with household cleaner and a rag
- The hard drive is connected to something called a hard drive duplicator which loads a fresh copy of Windows XP Pro onto it
- The hard drive is then installed in the computer along with 512 RAM
- The computer is turned on so Windows can load
- The computer is inspected thoroughly to make sure everything is working
- The Windows XP software is activated and a legal MS Windows XP Pro Certificate of Authenticity sticker is attached to the machine
- The machine is placed on the done pile and a waiting recipient, either a school or 501(c)(3) non-profit, is contacted to come pick it up
Non-useable Computer
- The computer’s processor speed is checked to see if it is 1Ghz or faster
- If it is not, the computer is opened up, the memory is removed, and the hard drive is inspected for its size
- If the hard drive is at least 20 gigabytes it is removed and saved
- The computer is placed on a palette along with other non-useable computers and stored until picked up by Synergy Recycling for recycling
Other items:
- Peripherals are sorted when they arrive at Teaming for Technology
- Useable peripherals are typically cleaned by Haven House volunteers as part of a youth restitution program. T4T also hosts "Hardware Parties" with local companies or service organizations in which equipment cleaning is one part of the days activities.
- Non-useable peripherals - such as printers without spare ink, gross keyboards and mice etc… are placed in gaylord boxes, and stored until picked up by Synergy Recycling for recycling
- Monitors are tested, cleaned, and palletized based on size.
- Non-working and 15” monitors are separated and palletized to be picked up by Synergy Recycling to be recycled. Monitors that cannot be refurbished are disassembled at Synergy’s facility in NC and the glass is sent for making new CRTs
What happens to my non-useable computer when it reaches Synergy Recycling?
- The computer is broken down by skilled technicians
- Hard drives are shredded
- Components are separated by material
- Circuit boards are sent to a smelter in the US for refining
- Metals are separated by types and sent to recycling markets in the US and internationally
- Plastics are separated by type and prepared for domestic and international markets
- Peripherals are shredded and have metals removed before plastics are sent to end use markets in the US or international
