Desktop Computers - Buy Refurbished to Save Money and Reduce Waste

Way back in 2004, the United Nations issued a report that showed the value of refurbished desktop computers, at least indirectly, when it highlighted the problem of e-waste. Now, with the economy slowing, there is one more reason to consider used or refurbished computers - they cost less.

Refurbished Desktop Computers Make Good Financial Sense

Why pay full price when you can get a refurbished computer that performs just as well (or better) than a new machine?

Refurbished desktop computers come from a variety of sources - customer returns, cast-offs after an upgrade, off-lease. When the machines are refurbished, they are thoroughly tested and cleaned to ensure they perform according to the manufacturer's original specifications. Sometimes the original equipment manufacturer refurbishes the computer, and sometimes an authorized reseller does it. Either way, the computer is usable, suitable to most business applications, and much cheaper than a new one.

Can a refurbished desktop meet your processing needs? Yes. Equipment manufacturers will try to tell you through their advertising that you need the latest and greatest computer, but that is rarely the case. Unless you are in a highly specialized field, like graphic design or CAD applications, you can very likely get buy with a machine that is 2, 3 or even 5 years old.

You may also have concerns that a refurbished machine will be too old to service; that parts will be hard to come by. That is not usually the case. Many manufacturers, including heavyweights like IBM and Lenovo, offer their discontinued parts and accessories for sale through resellers. Whatever you need to service your desktop, you can probably find it.

Buying Used Desktops Makes Good Eco-Sense

Back to that UN report. The report urged governments to "slow the growth of high-tech trash". UN researchers found that:

"...the average 24 kg desktop computer with monitor requires at least ten times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals to manufacture, much more materials intensive than an automobile or refrigerator, which only require 1-2 times their weight in fossil fuels. Researchers found that manufacturing one desktop computer and 17-inch CRT monitor uses at least 240 kg of fossil fuels, 22 kg of chemicals and 1,500 kg of water - a total of 1.8 tonnes of materials."

Of course most desktops now use LCD monitors, but the environmental impact of these machines is clear. The UN also made note of "the rapid rate at which [desktops] are discarded for newer machines."

If you buy used equipment, you are making a good environmental choice. Yes, computers are still being manufactured using chemicals and fossil fuels, but you will not be contributing to the demand for new machines when you buy a used or refurbished one. Further, you will be keeping a computer and monitor out of the waste stream.
Bottom Line: Refurbished Desktop Computers Make Good Business Sense

Save money, reduce waste and still perform your daily computing tasks. Refurbished computers give you all that and the satisfaction of having benefited both your budget and the environment.