It is essential to recycle old computers. This applies to industrial, commercial and residential electronics from desktops and laptops to tablets and phones. These devices contain many recyclable elements, rare metals and reusable materials.
In the digital age, computers are vital in the day-to-day operations of modern-day businesses. We use them to store data, perform administrative and accounting processes, and regulate automated operations. As such, they are filled with important confidential information on their hard drive. Upgrades and replacements drive a high electronic turnover in companies, and this highlights the need for computer recycling to promote sustainable practices and protect intellectual property.
This article takes you through the ins and outs of safe and responsible computer disposal and how to recycle computer parts, including the hard drive. From this, you’ll understand the best practices when it comes to disposing of computer parts, to ensure that you follow sustainable and secure practices, and how a recycling expert can make the process easier.
The security concerns with computer (and hard drive) disposal
Whether personal or professional, computers (in almost all cases) store confidential information in one form or another from images to reports, financial data and research. The intellectual property of countless businesses sits on hard drives, and is at risk when people upgrade or dispose of old computers.
Your confidential information does not disappear from electronic storage drives when you dispose of a computer. Fraud, identity theft and jeopardising intellectual property are real risks that can damage your company’s (or your personal) reputation and financial wellbeing. Therefore, to dispose of old computers, certain actions need to be taken to prevent this information from ending up in the wrong hands after you have disposed of and recycled old computers.
What to do before recycling an old computer
The following steps show you what to do with old computers to protect yourself, your company and the environment.
1. Back up important information from the hard drive
Data backups are crucial if you want to keep important information. The extent of a backup depends on the nature of your business. Cloud-based solutions offer syncing services where your files are automatically uploaded to secure cloud storage. You can also use something such as Google Drive or OneDrive for backups. Other solutions include external hard drives or operating system build-ins such as Apple’s Time Machine.
Backing up important information ensures that you do not lose any information held on the device's hard drive during disposal. It’s easy to transfer the information onto new devices. The process is as simple as moving folders, files and information across from the hard drive onto the chosen storage solution, where it is externally held.
2. Erase the computer’s hard drive
Before you dispose of old computers, you must erase or destroy the hard drive to remove all traces of your confidential information. Simply deleting the files will not suffice. Data erasing programmes, which permanently erase documents off the hard drive, are one way of ensuring that your data is not compromised. Another, and more permanent, risk management measure is professional hard drive shredding, which guarantees that your information is irretrievable.
3. Dispose of your computer
After your data is backed up and the hard drive is wiped, a computer is ready for disposal. Computers are made up of a variety of useful materials, so recycling old computer parts is definitely something to do to old computers. Read on to find out how to dispose of computer parts, including the hard drive, and how to recycle the computer body.
How to dispose of your computer
There are a few ways to dispose of computers and their hard drive, each with its own benefits. You can donate, resell or recycle old computers – find out more about each option below.
Donate
Often, there is nothing wrong with computers, and businesses upgrade their systems for reasons such as efficiency. By donating old computers to either non-profits, schools or any other organisation or person, you promote sustainability by keeping these devices in the reusing loop. This is why donation should always be your first consideration. Research organisations, such as schools, will benefit from such a donation.
However, before you donate, make sure that the computer is in good working condition, and that the data has been wiped off the hard drive, and remember to include the computer’s manuals and electrical cables. Liaise with where you wish to donate them, to ensure that the computers are actually useful and needed.
Resell
Reselling old computers also sustains the reusability loop. Online marketplaces, such as eBay, have many individuals (and companies) that will pay a reasonable price for second-hand computers in good condition. There are even tech outfits that will pay for used computer parts.
Before putting your old computer up for sale, it is important to check that everything is in good working order and, again, that all important data has been wiped off the hard drive. You can enlist a computer technician to help with this. They can also verify that it is able to be resold.
Recycle
It is not always prudent to donate or resell old computers – especially if there is a chance that sensitive and confidential information is at risk. If this is the case, recycling your computers and destroying their hard drive is the most viable, and environmentally friendly solution. Recycling does not mean binning or dumping an old computer at a landfill!
Electronic devices often contain toxic materials, such as mercury and lead, that seep into the soil and threaten ecosystems. Calling in the services of experts that deal with waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the best way to handle the recycling of old computers.
What happens when you recycle computer parts?
E-waste – the waste generated when getting rid of electronics – is a rapidly growing environmental headache. Modern-day operations drive the demand for faster and better technology, which means the disposal of old technology and the generation of more and more e-waste.
Recycling is key to addressing this problem. During this process, a computer is taken apart and all valuable materials, such as gold and copper (which are often found in the semiconductors powering electronics), are removed. These are melted down to be reused. The rest of the computer parts are then cleaned and fully recycled through processes such as shredding.
By recycling old computers, we:
- Prevent toxic substances from destroying ecosystems and harming plant, animal and human life.
- Reduce plastic waste pollution.
- Conserve limited resources such as conductive (and precious) metals.
The importance of hiring a WEEE recycling specialist
Recycling old computers ensures that your valuable and confidential information does not end up in the wrong hands. It is also a green practice that safeguards the environment and the life systems it supports. It is vital for companies to partner with professional WEEE recycling experts to achieve these goals.
Backed by 27 years of experience, Shredall SDS Group knows the importance of your company’s data. We help you properly dispose of old computers and computer parts, and, as a carbon-neutral recycling specialist, we support your organisation’s efforts in its journey to achieving a net zero status. Contact us today to realise responsible computer recycling.
