In the search for a new computer, there's a lot to consider: Mac or Windows-compatible, laptop or desktop, bare-bones or fully tricked-out. What you might not ponder while drooling over memory and screen size is what to do with that metallic box at the end of its useful life. When that day comes, Dell has a plan. And with it, the computer maker is showing consumers how to avoid trashing its technology. Dell thinks about its products' life cycles, manufacturing them in compliance with the stringent European directive RoHS, which limits the use of certain chemicals and substances in electronic devices.

When a Dell computer becomes obsolete, the company will pay the shipping costs to get it back. Then, the company or one of its global partners takes everything apart. "It's a very rewarding experience to go to a partner and see how they can start with a full system and take it back to its basic components," says Joe Strathmann, senior manager of asset recovery for Dell. A third-party firm conducts regular and random audits to ensure that all the parts-including monitors that contain lead-are handled according to the company's rigorous environmental standards. Metals are recycled, and the plastic is used in composites for park benches and decking. In 2006, Dell recovered 78 million pounds of material.

This year, company founder Michael Dell announced that he wants Dell to be the greenest tech company on Earth. Part of that goal involves giving old yet still functional computers a second life. Along with furniture and clothing, you can now bring gently used Dell computers to one of the 165 Goodwill centers nationwide that are participating in the Reconnect program. Before retiring computer equipment, remember to remove all the data you need. Unlike the computer, when that data is gone, it's not coming back.

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