Silvio I

What happens to all the discontinued or devalued electronic merchandise in retail stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and other small "factory outlet" style stores when said merchandise can no longer realistically be sold? Take the example of USB Flash drives. A new 16MB flash drive can still work, but since the technology has increased greatly over time, stores only offer the lastest and greatest items (say, for example, a flash drive with capacity of 256MB and much, much more). The same could be said for hard drives, very early digital cameras, and other digital products which are constantly being improved.

Stores just don't have the space to pile up devalued and discontinued merchandise, so, what happens to it all? Does the life cycle of these products vary from item to item? In short, where do these antiquated products end up?

Which would be better for improving the air quality in my room: an electronic air cleaner/filter/environizer/purifier/ , or a capable plant? Various manufacturers claim the air filters can greatly remove dust, pollen, pet dander, and so on. However, various botanists claim that the best plants can also purify the air quite well, while also providing extra oxygen when the plants are exposed to sunlight (and, also, that the oxygen plants consume when not photosynthesizing is relatively very little). I am interested in improving air quality in my room, and appreciate any input on what is best.

Note that I have no respiratory conditions, aside from mild seasonal allergies. The room size is roughly 10' by 17'. The room's double-window faces West, so sunlight shouldn't be a problem. If other details are required for this question, please let me know.