How long can a working computer remain useful? Once it eventually needs replacing, how easily can it be recycled? In addition to criteria governing how easy it is to upgrade and repair a system, computers certified under EPEAT must have the option for an additional three-year warranty or service agreement, meaning that the possible life span of an EPEAT certified computer needs to be at least six years. Once a computer has reached its useful end of life, EPEAT ranks systems on how easy it is to disassemble the computer and what percentage of the materials are reusable or recyclable.

If a computer can still be useful to someone, maybe just not your organization, reuse is the first course of action. TechSoup maintains a list of organizations that accept computer donations, and is a good first place to look. If the computer cannot be reused, recycle the system. Many cities and counties are beginning to offer residential curbside electronics recycling and electronics recycling companies will often pick up equipment for recycling if there is sufficient volume. Computer vendors like Dell, Lenovo, HP, Apple and others offer mail back programs for unwanted equipment. Office Depot recently launched a national program that, for between $5 and $15 you can purchase shipping boxes of various sizes and Office Depot will recycle all the equipment that fits in the box.