Getting Rid of Old Electronics Properly
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Electronic products and technology change constantly at speeds we can’t even follow and it is often the case that soon after you buy a new device, a faster, more powerful, smaller, better designed or more advanced version comes out in the market and buying a new one rather than getting the old one fixed works out to be cheaper in some cases and people tend to want the newer and nicer things. When you actually need to get rid of your electronics product that no longer works or at the end of its life, do not think of it as ordinary garbage- plastics, paper, food, cans etc but more of something that may contain harmful substances like batteries and other electrical parts that may be bad for the environment and as you may know electronics devices and parts contain bad substances like arsenic, lead and mercury and if you don’t dispose of them or treat them carefully whey may be quite bad for the environment and human health.
And luckily the parts of the electronics like glass, copper, plastics, steel, aluminium and others can be used in creation of brand new products. So if your old electronics device (monitors, computers, smart phones, MP3 players, microwave ovens, printers, speakers, scanners, fax machines, small appliances, projectors and many others) is still in working condition you should consider selling it or giving it to someone that needs it but of course remember to transfer your personal data (email list, contact list on your cell phone, all your documents and non-transferable software) elsewhere and it is often not enough to just delete the files and empty the bin, check the user manual or company website for more information about getting rid of them permanently, such as rooting and setting a cell phone to a clean start (same for a computer). You can ask the cell phone shop that you’re buying your new one from to get rid of your old one for you and if they can’t you may want to check if a recycling program is offered in your community- collection points etc. so they are recycled or reused in an environmentally friendly manner. But consumers often pay for the environmental costs when they purchase a new electronics product and they are entitled to file an unwanted electronically item for them to be taken to collection centres which then transfer it to recycling companies so they are recycled in an ecologically friendly way.
