Recycling Your IT

How to Recycle Your Laptop Responsibly!

2012-12-17

Laptop image

Today many people and businesses are more ecologically aware of their carbon footprint and the environmental changes to our planet that are caused through a myriad of bad habits over the years by people and businesses along with the over production of goods on today’s market, this is why recycling has become a large part of many people’s lives in order to help save the planet from harmful toxins for ourselves and our future generations.

There are a number of recycling companies available to you if you are looking in to laptop recycling UK businesses, although many of the retail outlets that you purchased your laptop from are obliged to take back any old goods that customers no longer need in accordance with the WEEE (Waste electrical and electronic equipment) Directive that came in to force in 2007.

In saying this however in some circumstances these companies may no longer exist or you can’t remember where you brought the laptop from so in this case you are best to contact a company who specialize in the recycling of laptops to ensure your laptop is being recycling responsibly.

The WEEE Directive

This scheme that is the fastest growing waste stream in the UK and was set up with an aim to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment that gets produced by encouraging better reusing, recycling and recovery procedures of laptops so less end up at our landfills leeching harmful toxins into our soil.

It is also about reducing the environmental performance of businesses that produce this equipment, businesses that supply the equipment, recycle it and reuse it, to ensure it is done so in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible, and effectively minimizing the risks and impacts on the environment and in turn reducing the carbon footprint on the planet.

Security Issues

Security is a big issue when you are recycling your laptop as you need to think about ways to ensure all your personal data has been removed from the laptop as just by deleting your files is not enough to completely remove all data as it still remains in the system. Many people think that files that have been put in the recycle bin and then deleted from the bin ensures they have been completely removed, but it is still relatively easy to retrieved your data by those who know how to as the information is still lurking in your system. Many Laptop recycling UK companies now use specialist data destruction programs that are designed to permanently erase all stored data for you.

New Technology

Laptops are often changed or upgraded to new equipment long before they are anywhere near the end of their life. New technology is constantly being created and brought to the market that supersedes old equipment, encouraging more people to change their equipment much earlier than they normally would.

If you have moved on to a new laptop then why not look in to laptop recycling UK companies and see how you too can help towards keeping our planet clean and green.