Depending on where you live, dispensing with that iMac that went obsolete five minutes after you bought it can be easy (St. Pete offers free curbside pickup for computers on request) or a pain in the butt (in Hillsborough your only option is to bring the computer to one of four Community Collection Centers in Lithia, Seffner, Gibsonton or on Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa). If you’re trying to dispense with computers from a business, it’s even more of a bear; expect to pay a fee. But not if you use Urban E Recycling. This Hillsborough-based, area-wide company takes care of removal, pickup, recycling and data destruction of office electronics at no charge, and its crews arrive to take the stuff away with almost astonishing speed. They also offer a reassuring degree of security, with crushers, erasing machines, and something called a deguasser all making sure your info doesn’t escape into the wilds of cyberspace. 813-501-9346, urbanerecycling.com
This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2015.