E-Waste & Equipment Removal/Disposal at BCH
We’ve all been there - a desktop monitor that doesn’t work, a PCR machine that can’t quite hold it’s temperature, a printer upgrade - but how do you dispose of electronics properly at Boston Children’s Hospital?
Is it a computer or printer? For privacy reasons, they must not be given to staff or donated to groups, and disposed of via helpdesk:
A staff member who will remain available to coordinate removal (i.e., not someone whose last day is the same day the request is being made) should email the Help Desk (Help.Desk@childrens.harvard.edu) to open a ticket. The Staging team will reach out to verify the identity and number of devices to remove and to coordinate a pick up time. Please be sure prior to pickup that any local data is saved to appropriate locations (a departmental shared drive, for instance) if others will need to access it in the future!
Is the piece of lab equipment still functioning, but you just don’t need it anymore? No problem! You can sell or donate it via Equipnet:
1. Sell it via Equipnet (https://www.equipnet.com/)
2. Donate it to any BCH lab (or let BCH handle EquipNet transaction for you): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9azO-mLp8d4UrRvUabGqjbkdG6CmrVzl_IEc4ONnz6Qtrcg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
Straight up broken? Dispose of it via this link:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/398932006eb34d7abf7ab3ea8d2f5d6a
Why should you even care about correct disposal?
It's important to dispose of old equipment properly because equipment reallocation saves unnecessary buying of new equipment, recyclable/reusable materials can be salvaged and toxic materials that are often in equipment can be proper stored and disposed of safely. All non-working or unwanted equipment are handled by Veolia (located in MA) for breaking down and dispose all components appropriately (e.g. plastic, rare gases, metal, electronics...). For any questions, please contact Chuck Blanchette, Capital Equipment Manager with Research Operations: Charles.Blanchette@childrens.harvard.edu
