By John DeFore

All right-thinking computer users want their gear to be put to the best use — handed down to others, resold, recycled — when they’re done with it. But many are dissuaded by nagging concerns like, If I donate my computer to Goodwill, is some miscreant going to unearth the personal data I’ve tried to erase from the hard drive? Computer maker 
Lenovo has a solution.The maker of the popular ThinkPad notebook and the world’s fourth largest personal computer manufacturer, is trying to make doing the right thing a bit easier for corporate customers (and, of course, score eco-points within an industry much faulted for e-waste) by instituting an Asset Recovery Service that provides “computer take-back, data destruction, refurbishment and recycling.” For companies whose own IT departments are already overworked, Lenovo is also offering additional services including “inventory value assessment, on-site de-installation and data encryption.”

The company notes that a three-year old computer can often fetch between ten and fifteen percent of its purchase price on the resale market, and it will help broker those inventory sales after pesky hard drives have been scrubbed.

None of this is free, sadly — prices vary depending on the size of the inventory being decommissioned. (Prospective customers are directed to email environment@lenovo.com to receive a quote.) Using the company’s individual-scale recycling service isn’t free, either — it’s purchasable here for $30, shipping included — though it does come with a $50 coupon toward future Lenovo purchases, making it a better deal for those with brand-loyal upgrades on their minds.

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