When it comes to recycling, lots of us are very good with separating our plastics and paper products from our general waste – and even our green waste from everything else. However, when it comes to tech items, they often end up gathering dust at the back of a cupboard somewhere or in the (increasingly cluttered) spare room.
Most of us have some sort of idea that we can’t just chuck this stuff out into the regular bin. Even if they’re dead – who knows, someone might be able to recover all your data from it, plus they probably aren’t supposed to be put in regular landfill, right?
These things are both true – which is why it’s important to ensure your data never sees the light of day and that you dispose of your items in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
Preparing computers and laptops
If they aren’t already dead, you should format your old laptops and computers first before you dispose of them. You can follow this guide if you are trying to format a Windows computer or laptop, and this guide if you are trying to format an Apple computer or laptop. If the machine still works then you might like to put it for sale online or give it to someone else once it’s formatted – it will contain none of your documents, apps, browsing history or photos.
Preparing mobile phones and tablets
Much like laptops and computers, you’ll need to format your mobile or tablet to remove all your data from it. If you have an Apple device (such as an iPhone or iPad), use this guide to format your device. For an Android device (like a Samsung or HTC) follow this guide to format the phone or tablet. As before, you may decide to try and sell it or pass it on to someone instead of recycling if it’s still working well.
Preparing TVs, printers, cables, speakers and other electronic goods
Most of these won’t require any special treatment before being safely recycled. The only things that you might like to watch out for are Smart TVs.
A note for dead mobiles and computers
If your device is dead and you want to ensure the data on it can never be recoverable you will need to utilise a secure data destruction service. This will be an extra service on top of recycling your old tech products and may cost extra.
Recycling
Each local council in NZ will have an electronic waste service available for ratepayers to utilise. These may or may not attract a fee for each item. For example, the Tasman District Council charges per item and some things per kilo, whereas you can take your electronic waste to Southern Landfill via Wellington City Council, where only monitors and TVs attract a fee. Electronic waste will be recycled, and in some cases refurbished, according to the policies of the council.
There are also private firms that specialize in electronic waste recycling if you’d prefer not to use the services provided by your council.
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