Recycling that old computer just got easier.

Goodwill Industries will take computers and related equipment any day of the week at its more than 100 locations across the state.

It's free, and you might even get a tax deduction.

The computers will be refurbished and resold or recycled.

Goodwill and the Dell Inc. computer company announced the joint program, called Reconnect, at a news conference yesterday in Mechanicsville.

Most places that recycle computers charge fees -- typically $5 for a monitor, for example. And many computer-recycling programs are seasonal events.

"The power is the simplicity of the [new] system," said Charles D. Layman, chief executive officer for Goodwill in central Virginia and Hampton Roads.

Many Goodwill stores and drop-off sites have begun taking computers in recent years. But the program was not publicized, and computers that didn't sell sometimes ended up in landfills.

In the new program, Dell will recycle unsold computers, of any brand, in an environmentally friendly manner. Virtually nothing will go to a landfill.

"That is Dell's promise," said Fran Valluzzo, Dell's manager of state and local government affairs.

The discarded computers' hard drives will be cleaned, removing former owners' personal information, Valluzzo said. Not all Goodwill stores did that previously.

Dell also pledged to send no items to developing countries, where workers sometimes break down computers in unsafe conditions.

Computers should not be dumped in the trash because they contain lead and other harmful materials that could get into waterways if the landfill leaked, experts say.

Goodwill is a nonprofit organization that, among other things, provides job training for the handicapped.

Goodwill and Dell have reached computer-recycling deals in nine other states. The Virginia program is the third that involves Goodwill stores and drop-off sites statewide.

Goodwill has 13 stores and seven drop-off sites in central Virginia.

Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or rspringston@timesdispatch.com.