Laptop Recycling
Book Your Collection Today
Laptop Recycling
Are you considering upgrading your laptop? In that case, you’ll probably want to get rid of your old daily driver. Every year technology leaders have exciting new innovations for their tech-savvy consumers in the form of a high-performance processor, faster RAM, a larger display, efficient power management, a robust integrated GPU, efficient cooling, and enough battery power to meet everyone’s professional expectations.
So, clearly, new laptops deliver more, ensuring you can get the most out of your system. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with updating your aging technology with new machines.
However, as an informed citizen, it is vital that you know how to properly dispose of your old laptops and other gadgets. While it may be tempting to trash them to simply get rid of them, the end result is unlikely to be that helpful.
What’s the Need to Recycle Laptops?
According to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), recycling 1 million laptops can help save energy required to sufficiently power 3,657 homes every year. [1]
Isn’t this reason enough? No, let’s discuss further…
The technology industry has quickly recognized that the enormous growth in electronic devices – demands the development of new ways to handle and dispose of e-waste. How we handle electronic waste varies widely around the world.
Not to get all wonky on you, but if we truly care about energy efficiency and our ecosystem, not just companies but individuals too must rethink how we use electronics, and more specifically, how we get rid of them.
Laptop Recycling
Are you considering upgrading your laptop? In that case, you’ll probably want to get rid of your old daily driver. Every year technology leaders have exciting new innovations for their tech-savvy consumers in the form of a high-performance processor, faster RAM, a larger display, efficient power management, a robust integrated GPU, efficient cooling, and enough battery power to meet everyone’s professional expectations.
So, clearly, new laptops deliver more, ensuring you can get the most out of your system. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with updating your aging technology with new machines.
However, as an informed citizen, it is vital that you know how to properly dispose of your old laptops and other gadgets. While it may be tempting to trash them to simply get rid of them, the end result is unlikely to be that helpful.
What’s the Need to Recycle Laptops?
According to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), recycling 1 million laptops can help save energy required to sufficiently power 3,657 homes every year. [1]
Isn’t this reason enough? No, let’s discuss further…
The technology industry has quickly recognized that the enormous growth in electronic devices – demands the development of new ways to handle and dispose of e-waste. How we handle electronic waste varies widely around the world.
Not to get all wonky on you, but if we truly care about energy efficiency and our ecosystem, not just companies but individuals too must rethink how we use electronics, and more specifically, how we get rid of them.
Something like 65% of developed nations e-waste ends up in landfills – landfills not in their country – NOPE! – landfills in 3rd world countries where underage children and women pick them with their bare hands, knowing theirs no one to care for their health or safety. In some developing world, for example, which is heating up rapidly, they have adopted “waste-to-energy” technologies that burn e-waste to generate electricity – which again no need to explain is harmful.
Also…
Electronics are generally much heavier than ordinary waste and house an array of chemicals essential for their operation. However, most of these chemicals include heavy metals like mercury, etc. which aren’t just harmful to nature but to the wellbeing of every living being. Though it’s a common understanding that e-waste can be recycled, but the fact is, recycling is complicated, and e-waste is harder to process than your typical junk. Any waste-to-energy plant will do pretty much anything to send waste to a supposedly “green” landfill. It may even perform the recycling part so poorly that it’s essentially no good to anyone. But that’s not true with recycling – which again isn’t cheap but when implemented thoroughly can result in a 30% to 55% recovery rate depending on various factors. This simple stat (theoretically) brings a reduction of 30% to 55% to 20% global e-waste that is recycled annually.
Further Benefits of Laptop Recycling
1. Trade-Up Programs
If you are making major upgrades in your business or upgrading multiple components, and cost savings can benefit your business greatly. After all, the less money you spend, the better your bottom line. For instance, if you are replacing a laptop computer, or replacing parts for a server or mobile device, taking advantage of a lot of the retailer’s trade up and recycle programs, you should be able to cut the cost associated with upgrading your and your employees’ work laptop.
Something like 65% of developed nations e-waste ends up in landfills – landfills not in their country – NOPE! – landfills in 3rd world countries where underage children and women pick them with their bare hands, knowing theirs no one to care for their health or safety. In some developing world, for example, which is heating up rapidly, they have adopted “waste-to-energy” technologies that burn e-waste to generate electricity – which again no need to explain is harmful.
Also…
Electronics are generally much heavier than ordinary waste and house an array of chemicals essential for their operation. However, most of these chemicals include heavy metals like mercury, etc. which aren’t just harmful to nature but to the wellbeing of every living being. Though it’s a common understanding that e-waste can be recycled, but the fact is, recycling is complicated, and e-waste is harder to process than your typical junk. Any waste-to-energy plant will do pretty much anything to send waste to a supposedly “green” landfill. It may even perform the recycling part so poorly that it’s essentially no good to anyone. But that’s not true with recycling – which again isn’t cheap but when implemented thoroughly can result in a 30% to 55% recovery rate depending on various factors. This simple stat (theoretically) brings a reduction of 30% to 55% to 20% global e-waste that is recycled annually.
Further Benefits of Laptop Recycling
1. Trade-Up Programs
If you are making major upgrades in your business or upgrading multiple components, and cost savings can benefit your business greatly. After all, the less money you spend, the better your bottom line. For instance, if you are replacing a laptop computer, or replacing parts for a server or mobile device, taking advantage of a lot of the retailer’s trade up and recycle programs, you should be able to cut the cost associated with upgrading your and your employees’ work laptop.
A lot of retailers will offer significant discounts to recycle an old laptop when you are purchasing a brand new one. Therefore, it could be a good way to upgrade at a much-reduced cost.
2. Laptops Are Made Up of Harmful Chemicals and Materials
One of the main reasons you need to dispose of your laptop is the proper manner is to avoid putting excess harmful chemicals and materials into the environment. Computers are made up of a lot of materials that can be extremely damaging to the environment we live in, including having these dangerous chemicals end up in our water supply. These chemicals and materials include but are not limited to mercury, lead, chromium, and beryllium [2].
3. It (Might Be) The Law
A lot of states have already passed legislation that mandates the recycling of electronics. With technology advancing every day, we can see the impact that electronics has. They are helping us grow economically and providing all sorts of benefits in the form of automation and insight, but there seems to be an ongoing debate on their disposal and its impact on our environment and health.
Therefore, you will want to begin to recycle any old laptops that you have lying around rather than dump them in the trash if for no other reason than to obey the law. Because there is no Federal law, it’s carried out on a state by state basis.
Laptop Recycling – How to Do It Properly?
1. Wipe It Clean
A lot of retailers will offer significant discounts to recycle an old laptop when you are purchasing a brand new one. Therefore, it could be a good way to upgrade at a much-reduced cost.
2. Laptops Are Made Up of Harmful Chemicals and Materials
One of the main reasons you need to dispose of your laptop is the proper manner is to avoid putting excess harmful chemicals and materials into the environment. Computers are made up of a lot of materials that can be extremely damaging to the environment we live in, including having these dangerous chemicals end up in our water supply. These chemicals and materials include but are not limited to mercury, lead, chromium, and beryllium [2].
3. It (Might Be) The Law
A lot of states have already passed legislation that mandates the recycling of electronics. With technology advancing every day, we can see the impact that electronics has. They are helping us grow economically and providing all sorts of benefits in the form of automation and insight, but there seems to be an ongoing debate on their disposal and its impact on our environment and health.
Therefore, you will want to begin to recycle any old laptops that you have lying around rather than dump them in the trash if for no other reason than to obey the law. Because there is no Federal law, it’s carried out on a state by state basis.
Laptop Recycling – How to Do It Properly?
1. Wipe It Clean
If you are going to be getting rid of older laptops, you want to ensure that you are disposing of them properly. Whenever you are getting rid of any laptop with a hard drive, you want to completely wipe the hard drive to avoid exposing your private and personal data. To do this, you will need to clean and restore the PC or Mac. Doing this on Windows or Mac is very easy. Simply navigate to the search on each and type reset. You will be presented with the opportunity to wipe your PC or Mac. To ensure you are wiping everything with no chance of recovering the files, you should be doing the option to “Fully clean the drive” presented by Windows.
2. Recycle Your Tec
If you are in a business where critical data handling is part of your daily routine, and you believe that every bit of information stored on your hard drives are critical to the functioning of your business, you will want to hire a professional to ensure 100% data destruction before your laptop computers and other devices are sent for recycling purposes.
One such professional data erasure service provider is “Recycle Your Tec” that not only provides hassle-free data destruction services to individuals and businesses but in addition to all its services, provides certificates for proof of erasure and destruction that could be critical for your laptop recycling needs.
Recycle Your Tec, like many leading data destruction service providers, employs industry-standard WhiteCanyon and Blancco data erasure solutions to provide optimized solutions for businesses of all sizes.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/electricalwaste-producer-supplier-responsibilities
[2] http://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/PageFiles/25513/toxic-chemicals-in-computers.pdf
If you are going to be getting rid of older laptops, you want to ensure that you are disposing of them properly. Whenever you are getting rid of any laptop with a hard drive, you want to completely wipe the hard drive to avoid exposing your private and personal data. To do this, you will need to clean and restore the PC or Mac. Doing this on Windows or Mac is very easy. Simply navigate to the search on each and type reset. You will be presented with the opportunity to wipe your PC or Mac. To ensure you are wiping everything with no chance of recovering the files, you should be doing the option to “Fully clean the drive” presented by Windows.
2. Recycle Your Tec
If you are in a business where critical data handling is part of your daily routine, and you believe that every bit of information stored on your hard drives are critical to the functioning of your business, you will want to hire a professional to ensure 100% data destruction before your laptop computers and other devices are sent for recycling purposes.
One such professional data erasure service provider is “Recycle Your Tec” that not only provides hassle-free data destruction services to individuals and businesses but in addition to all its services, provides certificates for proof of erasure and destruction that could be critical for your laptop recycling needs.
Recycle Your Tec, like many leading data destruction service providers, employs industry-standard WhiteCanyon and Blancco data erasure solutions to provide optimized solutions for businesses of all sizes.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/electricalwaste-producer-supplier-responsibilities
[2] http://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/PageFiles/25513/toxic-chemicals-in-computers.pdf