Warehouse Operations for Refurbishers

This wiki is part of a series of Manuals For Computer Refurbishers.

• Decide what you will accept.
• If you don’t have much room, accept only what you can work on.
• Get to know a recycler. They may take everything that you don’t want. If you want to demanufacture and sell scrap, have a plan to get rid of the items you don’t want or can’t sell.
• If you pick up donations from businesses or governmental agencies, take everything offered and don’t pick and choose. If you do they won’t call you again. Read more about obtaining donations.
• Look for a scrap yard in your area and find out what they will buy and how it needs to be prepared.

• Convertible Hand Cart
• Pallet Jack
• Scraper, Razor-Blade Scraper, Utility Knife
• Tape Dispenser to Seal Boxes
• Shrink Wrap and Shrink Wrap Holder
• Gloves and Back Brace

Convertible hand cart, pallet jack, scrapers/blades, tape dispenser, shrink wrap holder, gloves/back brace.

• Do not use “blown” wrap. It costs less but it is not as strong. Use 18” x 1,500’ 80 gauge Stretch Wrap.
• The holder really makes it easier.
• Attach the shrink wrap to the pallet.
• Catch the bottom of the pallet when you wrap so the load doesn’t slide off.
• Continue to wrap up and around until you have two or three layers firmly stretched around the load. Tighten the knob on the top of the spindle. When you pull on the wrap firmly, it will tear off.

• When the monitors are received, wrap the video cable around the base.
• If the monitor is to be recycled, cut the video cable and save for scrap.
• Never set the monitor on its base as the base will break.
• Handle monitors carefully as every monitor contains lead. If a monitor is broken, sweep the broken glass into a sealed box. Do not breathe the dust or allow the leaded glass to enter the ground water as it is hazardous.
• Note how the monitors are stacked on the hand cart. They are on their sides and alternate facing forward and back.
• When stacking against a wall or hand loading on a truck, place the first row of monitors on their sides with the screen facing outwards. The second row will be on its side with the face of the monitor against the wall. The inter-locking creates stability.

The bases face opposite directions in alternating layers for better balance.

The vertical towers in the shape of a “+” give stability to the pallet.

Without the vertical “+” the load is apt to fall.

• Wear good shoes – no sandals.
• Many warehouse accidents are caused by items falling off of pallets and landing on a person’s foot. Good shoes are a necessity.
• Lift with your knees, not by bending over. Back problems can be minimized by learning how to lift properly with your back straight and knees bent. Ask for help when lifting heavy items. Some workers like to use a back brace.
• Have regular safety meetings and discuss better ways of handling the donations.
• Keep a first aid kit and fire extinguisher near by.
• Beware of shifting loads when opening the truck.

• Wire is valuable for scrap. All cables and power cords are valuable—even IDE or ribbon cables. The more you have the better the price you can receive.
• Ink cartridges can also be sold for additional income.
• Excess parts can be valuable. Look for opportunities to sell excess parts for reuse as it can bring a higher price than just the scrap value.

• Test and keep good power supplies.
• Use shelves, boxes and cabinets.
• Clear storage boxes are useful.
• Test and label saved memory.
• Keep newer CD and DVD drives.
• Wipe hard drives and store by size.
• Keep slot covers for various cases.
• Trade, sell or recycle excess parts.
• Label everything.

• As your business grows, you may need to get a fork lift and pallet racking.
• No matter how large or how small your operation, you must keep the equipment moving in and out. Process it quickly to get it out to customers or recyclers.
• Label and date your pallets.
• Label “To be processed” or “Processed” with the date and description of the items on the pallet. After processing have similar items on the same pallet for ease of loading software and providing larger customers with identical systems.