Recycling Electronic Goods (where & how to do it)

recycle phone batteries

England’s office (and home office) drawers and cupboards are packed full of electronic waste. Yet theses can easily be recycled and turned into other goods. Better for the planet, frees up space and also helps to close the loop, encouraging less e-waste nationwide and worldwide.

Don’t send electronic trash to Africa

This is a real bugbear for people living in Africa, as it causes landfill dangers, pollutants and even fires. In Gambia, Bakoteh rubbish dump is the most toxic in the world. Because the laws are not so strict there, workers suffer pollution and injuries from processing the used phones and laptops that companies try to ship over there, a kind of ‘environmental racism’.

Know that if you buy something from a store, by law you should be able to take back the old/broken version to be recycled. 

What is electronic waste?

Electronic waste is classed as anything with a plug, battery or cable. And UK laws are pretty strict. All shops selling such items have to  take back old ones for recycling, so essentially it’s not your problem, and rightly so. These companies are making them, so they should be covering the cost of responsible disposal.

Enter your postcode at Recycle Your Electricals to find local outlets. There are almost 30,000 locations nationwide (UK) so you should not have trouble finding a place to take them back.

Batteries contain electrical elements inside, which can spark fires if crushed in bin lorries or recycling centres. They are also choking hazards. All stores these days have battery banks (you can also take car batteries to mechanics and watch batteries to jewellers for recycling – consider next time buying a battery-free mechanical watch!

Around 100,000 tons of electronic waste is binned each year in the UK. Yet every single item can easily be recycled into new goods (saving resources) and also saving the planet.

Electronic goods that are easy to recycle:

  • LED lightbulbs (older ones have to be wrapped in thick paper and binned)
  • Large white goods (fridge/freezers, washing machines, tumble driers)
  • Mobile cameras and gaming consoles
  • Power and gardening tools
  • TV and audio equipment
  • Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide monitors
  • Christmas tree lights
  • Small electricals (hairdryers, vacuum cleaners, toasters, electric toothbrushes, popcorn makers, slow cookers, electric kettles, coffee machines, bread-makers and blenders).
  • Charging cables (buy zero waste ones next time!)

Avoid ‘fast tech’ electronic waste

Just like fast fashion, ‘fast tech’ causes immense unnecessary waste (11 million items binned each year), by people who buy silly items that are thrown away soon after (handheld fans, light-up toilet seats, mini karaoke machines and single-use vapes).

Should you donate electronic goods?

Don’t donate most electronic goods for safety reasons (better to recycle). However you can donate working laptops to Donate a PC, which can also refurbish old hardware for reuse.

If donating a safe working laptop or phone, you obviously want to wipe your device beforehand:

  • Back up photos, contacts and notes, then remove the SIM and memory card.
  • Sign out of key accounts (Apple ID, Google, Microsoft) to prevent access.
  • Also switch off activation locks, to ensure devices can be activated by next user.
  • Finish with a factory reset, and include chargers if you can.

Where to buy safe refurbished electronics

Love Tech Hate Waste is a site where you can find refurbished technical products, to help create a circular economy for a sustainable future, and of course, items cost less too!

Founded by a group of businesses 15 years ago, this company has helped to stop tens of millions of tons of electronic waste going to landfill. The brand uses a unique restoration/refurbishment process, to help bring items back to a state where they can be enjoyed once more, to extend their useful life.

The range of items includes:

  • Laptops – these are refurbished but in good working order. If you just require a basic model, some are just over £100, ideal for sending emails and basic surfing. Right up to professional-level office laptops.
  • Computing – 36-month warranty, from internal memory cards to tablets.
  • Electronics – again backed by a 36-month warranty, these gadgets include refurbished photography gear, from cameras to headphones.
  • Gaming – If you use consoles, choose ones that are refurbished, but turn them off often, and get outside in nature!
  • Mobile Phones – again with 36-month warranties, find top brand and models, refurbished to like-new, good or acceptable condition. From budget-friendly to smartphones.

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