Just when you’d given up on finding a place that would accept that old Intel486-driven computer (It’s still in the basement, right? Admit it!) along comes the Dell-Goodwill Reconnect partnership. Yippee!

Let me explain: participating Goodwill donation centers in certain parts of the country - including, of course, the DC Metro Area beginning today - will now accept any old computer or computer related equipment for recycling and reuse. This means a couple of things will change. The downside (for some) is that participating Goodwill stores will no longer be selling computers or printers or cords.

But the upside (which is huge) is that participating Goodwill donation centers can now accept any make or model of computer and related equipment in working or non-working condition! All parts that are able to be reused and/or repurposed will be done so by Dell (regardless of original brand) and everything else will be recycled.

So what’s in it for Goodwill, you ask? A lot. Participating Goodwill agencies receive a fixed amount of proceeds per every pound of computer equipment they recycle, which will be greater than what they would have earned had they sold the items outright on the sales floor. That’s more money for Goodwill’s mission and more job training and placement at a time when unemployment rates are at an all time high in some areas.

Equally important is the environmental impact. Goodwill is one of the nation’s biggest recyclers already, and, by committing to cut down on e-waste is such a prolific manner, participating agencies will be making an even more positive impact on their local environments. Everybody wins!

In other green news, the DC Goodwill Fashion Blog has been named one of the Top 50 Green Fashion and Design Blogs by Organicasm (it’s actually the first one listed under “Vintage and Used”) and one of the Top 10 Green Fashion Blogs by Ecoble. Thanks gals!

Be sure to check out both sites for a whole host of other great blogs that offer info on how to engage in a stylish, sustainable lifestyle. Oh, and the “Hi-Tech Bird House,” at right, is by artist Mitch Levy. Isn’t it awesome? Now that’s what I call recycling!

Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on ebay.com funds Goodwill’s mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities.