mediumMultiple Choice
Donate Working Network Switches to School District (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
A company is upgrading its network switches and has 10 old switches that still work. The local school district has requested donations of working equipment. What should the technician do?
Quick Answer
The correct choice is to donate the working network switches to the school district. This action directly applies the principle of reuse, which is the most environmentally responsible step in the waste hierarchy before recycling or disposal, because the switches are still functional and extending their lifecycle reduces e-waste. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of proper disposal and environmental best practices, often appearing in questions about recycling, donating, or disposing of old equipment. A common trap is to default to recycling or simply throwing away functional hardware, but the exam emphasizes that reuse is always preferred over recycling when the equipment still works. To remember this, think of the three Rs in order: Reduce first, then Reuse, then Recycle—donating functional network switches is a perfect example of the Reuse step in action.
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between recycling and reuse, where candidates mistakenly choose recycling as the 'green' option, but the exam emphasizes that reuse is always preferable for still-functional equipment.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Donate the switches to the school district.
Donating the switches to the school district aligns with the principle of reuse, which is the most environmentally responsible option before recycling or disposal. The switches are still functional, so extending their lifecycle reduces e-waste and benefits the community. This practice supports the waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Throw the switches in the company dumpster.
Why it's wrong here
Dumping working switches discards reusable equipment and breaches WEEE waste-disposal duties, since the school district has already requested them. It is tempting as a quick disposal route, and would suit genuinely broken, data-bearing kit after certified destruction, but here donation satisfies the request and legal obligations.
- ✓
Donate the switches to the school district.
Why this is correct
Donating satisfies the school's request while the switches remain functional, but data-bearing network devices require secure sanitisation before transfer. Switches retain configuration files, VLAN details, credentials and management addresses; factory-reset each unit and document the wipe. Without this, the donation leaks sensitive network information, so sanitise first, then donate.
- ✗
Send the switches to a recycler even though they work.
Why it's wrong here
Recycling working switches destroys equipment the school district explicitly requested, and recycling is for end-of-life kit, not functional hardware. It is tempting because recyclers handle WEEE compliance and data destruction, which would be correct for faulty or unrequested switches, but donation is the required action here.
- ✗
Keep the switches in storage indefinitely.
Why it's wrong here
Indefinite storage leaves the requested working switches unused, providing no benefit and accumulating unmanaged inventory. It is tempting as a cautious holding pattern pending disposal decisions, and would be correct while awaiting data sanitisation or authorisation, but the school's standing request makes donation the required step.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1202
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. During a software deployment, a technician must dispose of 50 unused software license CDs. The CDs are still sealed. What is the most environmentally friendly way to handle them?
medium- A.Throw them in the general office trash bin.
- B.Shred them and put the pieces in the recycling bin.
- ✓ C.Donate them to a local school or non-profit that can use them.
- D.Burn them in an incinerator to generate energy.
Why C: Donating still-sealed, unused software license CDs to a school or non-profit is the most environmentally friendly option because it extends the product's useful life and avoids generating waste entirely. Reuse sits at the top of the EPA's waste hierarchy — above recycling and far above disposal or incineration. Since the media is sealed and licensed, it retains full value for a recipient organization.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.