We’ve all been there—you’ve got a box (or maybe several) of old phones, laptops, and cables collecting dust in your basement, garage, or a forgotten drawer. You don’t use them anymore, and you’d love to free up some space, but you also know you can’t just toss them in the garbage. That’s right—electronic waste, from smartphones to computers, doesn’t belong in your black bin.
Putting your electronic waste into the garbage bin means that the devices will head to a landfill with the rest of your trash. Many electronic devices contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can leach into soil and water if dumped in landfills. These toxic substances can damage the nearby environment and cause harm to nearby wildlife.
So, if you can’t toss these devices into the garbage, what should you do with them?
Recycling Your E-Waste
Do your part to protect the environment by keeping electronic waste out of landfills. Recycle it, instead! No, this doesn’t mean that you can simply toss the old devices into the blue bin with your old cereal boxes and tuna cans. You’ll need to bring them to one of the local e-waste drop off depots. Just hand over your boxes of electronics and leave!
But wait. Before you drive off to a city-run drop off depot, you should know that scrap metal recycling facilities do more than take your e-waste for recycling–they will pay you for your donation. You can responsibly recycle with Canada Iron and get money in your pocket. It’s a win-win.
This scrap metal recycling facility will also take in electronics that you can’t lug to the drop-off depot, like household appliances, Christmas lights and cables. You can get rid of more at this facility and make back more, too.
Why E-Waste Recycling is Profitable for Scrap Metal Recycling
Many electronic devices contain valuable metals like gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. For example, circuit boards in computers and phones often contain gold and palladium, while wiring and connectors are rich in copper. When properly recycled, these metals can be extracted and repurposed!
How to Prepare Your Old Tech for Recycling
Before dropping off your devices for recycling, follow these steps to ensure a smooth process and protect your personal information:
- Back Up and Remove Personal Data – Before recycling any device that stores data, such as smartphones, laptops, or tablets, make sure to back up any important files. Then, perform a factory reset to erase all personal information. For extra security, you can use data-wiping software to ensure your information is completely removed.
- Remove Batteries – Batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries found in laptops and smartphones, must be recycled separately. Remove them if possible and take them to a specialized battery recycling program.
- Separate Accessories – Remove unnecessary accessories from your tech before bringing it in for recycling, like cases, decals and phone grips.
Give Your Old Tech a Second Life
That old tech sitting around your home may seem useless to you, but to the right place, it’s still valuable. Even obsolete electronics contain precious metals that can be recovered and reused. So why let them go to waste? Free up space, do something good for the planet, and make the most out of your old tech!
