Recycle your E-Waste on April 10 [Updated]

If you're even remotely geeky, chances are you have a home or garage filled with old computers and electronics. It's hard to get rid of, to be sure. There's sentimental value (I have a Commodore 128 slowly decaying in my den), but there's also environmental risk: old electronics are a source of toxins and carcinogens.

There are safe ways to dispose of them, but opportunities seem few and far between, and are often subject to volume limits. Businesses with whole rooms filled with old PCs are usually stuck storing them indefinitely.

On Saturday, April 10, there will be an unlimited e-waste recycling event held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the main parking lot of Honolulu Leeward Community College. "Unlimited" means that you can bring as much as you've got, and that the event is open to both individuals and businesses looking to dispose of computers and electronics.

(It doesn't mean you can bring TVs, microwaves, or batteries, however. Those are a whole other ball of wax.)

Materials accepted include computers, monitors, laptops, printers, fax machines, servers, and telecom equipment, of any brand.

The e-waste recycling event is free, but you can still do a good thing in return for taking advantage of the opportunity: the Hawaii Foodbank will be there collecting canned food donations to help feed the homeless and the hungry. So along with that old Packard Bell and Betamax VCR, be sure to bring a can of food (or two).

The event is sponsored by Aiea-based Pacific Corporate Solutions.