Recycling Our Electronics

There comes a time where electronics outlive their usefulness. It could be an old laptop, phone,

or even the batteries that once powered them. What do you do with these items?

Old electronics shouldn’t go in your traditional trash – for environmental reasons, as well as the

protection of your personal safety.

Begin by backing up the device. When we use a computer or a phone for many years, it’s easy to

forget to backup some documents, photos, or videos. It’s very easy to lose track of some

information that would be a painful loss later. Let’s take a quick look at the proper disposal for

many electronics.

Batteries

Most USA and Canadian cities have drop-off sites for items like old batteries. Even some major retailers

provide this service. We recommend keeping old batteries in a small box until it comes time to

drop them off.

Phones

Your phone can be recycled in a similar way – if it has no re-sale value, of course. Most leading

phones have factory resets that you should utilize before considering a resale, however. If you’re

unsure of how to do this, Google the exact model of your phone and look for instructions.

If your phone holds no value, dispose of them at an electronic reseller, or a recycling drop-off

location. Old phones can contain harmful chemicals, so don’t throw the directly in the trash.

Laptops

Regardless of your laptop’s age, it may be useful to someone if it still works. Consider donating

to a non-profit or a charity. Laptops, like phones, have harmful chemicals in them. Recycling

facilities or eco-stations will take these laptops off your hands, at no cost.

Before dropping off these items, we recommend a hard drive backup.