More and more schools across America are offering students low-cost electronics to do their schoolwork. Because these low-powered machines are so inexpensive, and because they become outdated so quickly, schools aren't always invested in getting them back — but students may not be able to use them once school ends, either.
That leads to situations like the one from this Reddit post, where the original poster didn't know what to do with their school Chromebook besides simply throwing it away.
What's happening?
"Should I just throw this in the garbage?" asked the original poster in their post on r/computers. "I found this Chromebook I used a long time ago during the pandemic, but I can't seem to remove my school board management on it. Is it garbage?"
The photo they attached showed the device in question: a Chromebook, or in other words, a very basic and low-powered laptop designed to perform basic functions like surfing the internet and running a word processor. It's ideal for schoolwork and not much else.
In this case, the school had installed programs on the machine to make absolutely sure it could only be used for the intended academic purposes. The original poster didn't provide details, but it's likely they couldn't install programs on it or access certain websites — and they may not even have been able to log on without an active school account.
That essentially turned the Chromebook into an expensive paperweight unless the obstructive software could be removed.
Why is the school's approach important?
By not collecting the Chromebook at the end of the year and by putting software on it that would make it unusable once the original poster finished at that school, the institution all but ensured that this Chromebook would become e-waste — electronic garbage.
E-waste is different from other garbage because it contains both expensive components — like lithium and gold — and hazardous materials.
Throwing it away means the valuable parts are lost and all the effort and pollution that went into mining them is wasted; while at the same time, they can pollute the soil and water where they're discarded, and even pose a safety risk for sanitation workers.
Is the student doing anything about this?
Commenters offered the original poster several suggestions to either make the Chromebook usable again or dispose of it safely.
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Giving me money back 💰 "Staples accepts e-waste for free. Bring it there anytime," said one user. In fact, the company sometimes even offers rewards for e-waste.
"Just install Linux on it or sell it. Good for environment," said another Redditor.
What's being done about e-waste more broadly?
Not only can you recycle your electronics, there may be ways to make money from them or get other rewards.
For example, Trashie's Tech Take Back Box allows you to send in up to 10 pounds of your old electronics for free and rewards you with instant credit toward meals, entertainment, and other perks.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
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