Why might you be interested in recycling your laptop? Ever heard of that phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle”? That is why! These are the 3 ways in which we can all individually and collectively as businesses and organisations can eliminate waste and protect our environment! But beyond that new green mantra, the average laptop computer has an abundance of harmful toxins in it like lead, arsenic, and cadmium. If you just throw your laptop out with the rubbish you will run the risk of these toxins seeping into the soil and causing long term damage to the environment.
Recycling your laptop really is the safest way of disposing of it. And there are a few different ways that you can go about doing it. First of all, if your computer is still in good working order, why not sell it or give it away or donate it to someone? Someone else could always use it if you are done with it. If your laptop is no longer useable, then you should definitely recycle all redundant IT.
When recycling your laptop, you will want to be sure to delete any personal data that may still remain on it. This is a little more involved than you may think. Even if you have permanently deleted your files they may still easily be retrieved. You should wipe your hard drive completely. At Recycling Your IT, we used very sophisticated software that will clear all hard drives completely and securely. This is all certificated.
As of 2007, the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive implemented new regulations that require stores selling electrical goods to take back customers’ old electronics. While some stores may charge a fee to accept your old laptop, others may take it for free, especially if you purchase a new computer from them at the same time. You may even find that your council may run a recycling scheme locally.