Your guide to recycling your old electronics- what to do with old phones, tablets, laptop's & cameras

As technology evolves, we find ourselves buying new devices more often as we upgrade smartphones and tablets and replace old PCs and laptops, without having the heart to part with our much loved old devices. This means that we become collectors or even hoarders of old machines over the years, and sometimes it's purely because we have no idea what to do with them.

Recycling old devices has been a growing concern as the world shifts its focus more on recycling and waste. Electronic waste (e-waste) has been problematic and is gradually increasing to become worse as we now produce an astonishing amount globally. New devices are getting better and smarter year on year with new functions, which means, older models go 'out of fashion' more quickly.

The graph above provides a good indication of the amount of e-waste produced in 2020 alone.

For this reason, it's always good to think about what you will do with your old tech when you decide to buy something new. There are many ways an old device and gadget can be repurposed, even if it's a few years old. However, before we get to the options, there are a few things to consider before deciding to get rid of it.

Things to consider before getting rid of your device

Once you have replaced your device and have decided to be done with it, you have to ensure your device is done with you. This means making sure you do not leave any personal data on the phone. This includes contacts, pictures, and app accounts and emails accounts that someone can gain access to. Deleting everything on the phone and restoring it back to factory settings will prevent anyone from merely charging the phone and accessing your personal details.

Make sure to back up everything you would like to keep on a hard drive and then perform the factory reset on your device. We can not simply throw most electronics away because most of them will end up making it to landfill. This improper way of disposing of them creates a damaging effect on the environment.

The toxic metals found in these devices cause damage to our organs. When these devices are thrown away, these harmful metals leak into landfill and vaporise into the atmosphere. There are several eco-friendly ways to dispose of your electronics but recycling and repurposing them will make your money's worth. Here's a look at some of the easiest ways to recycle and repurpose your old tech.

Recycling your Phone

Smartphones are some of the easiest electronics to recycle. Many companies will take your phone and in some cases, even give you some cash for it. Alternately, when you are upgrading your phone, ask your service provider if they can take your old smartphone as some do. Most smartphones are refurbished, if possible. Where not possible, the parts from a smartphone are sold on to make new devices which is an excellent way of recycling what we have already. If your smartphone is new enough, you may even be able to trade it in a deal to get a new smartphone or you can try to sell it on the open market as a second hand device. Either way, it will get a new lease of life.

Recycling your Laptop

Before making the move to recycle your Laptop, it's worth considering whether it is still in good working condition for use by another person. This is most definitely the case if the Laptop is relatively recent and still holds good functional software and the ability to support new software. If this is the case, you could consider donating it to a local charity. If you believe the device is too old and has no opportunities to help another person, you can find many businesses online that recycle laptops.

Recycling your Camera & TV

Sometimes we forget that our old cameras have working parts that can still be useful today. There are many places online that take cameras and camcorders (what are those right?) and put them to good use.

Technology in television has grown leaps and bounds, which means many of us will have an old, dare I say, box set television hanging about somewhere. Again, if the set works but you're not using it, consider donating it to charities, shelters and care homes or even a second-hand store. However, before doing anything, and especially if the TV is a Smart TV, be sure to clear it of any personal data and restore it back to factory settings to keep your data safe. When manoeuvring your TV, be very careful not to break it or smash it as many toxic materials can release out of it into your home.