You have a pile of electronics gathering dust in your basement. You want to toss it all out, but your city’s waste disposal program forbids you from putting electronics into the recycling or trash bin. What can you do?
Find out how you can safely get rid of your old electronics, whether they still work or they’re beyond repair.
If Your Electronics Are Broken:
The reason why you can’t toss your broken phones and chewed up extension cords into the trash is that they’re hazardous. Electronic waste often contains materials that can be harmful to the environment and to people that come in close contact with them:
- Lead
- Cadmium
- Beryllium
- Phosphors
- Chromium
Those materials will contaminate the surrounding waste in a landfill or recycling facility, and they will seep into the nearby soil or groundwater. Governments try to prevent this contamination by banning e-waste from garbage cans and blue bins. Even with the warnings, too many people still toss their old and broken electronics in with their trash.
So, how can you get rid of it properly? The easiest thing that you can do is go to Canada Iron because they have years of experience recycling e-waste. The scrap metal facility is a member of the Ontario Electronic Stewardship Program (OES), so they have the credentials to back up their promise to keep electronic waste out of landfills and recycle the materials as safely and effectively as possible.
A perk that comes with bringing your items to this facility is that you can get rewarded. Since the materials are still valuable, the facility pays its customers for what they bring in. So, you could help the environment and make a profit.
If Your Electronics Are in Good Condition:
If your electronics are still in good condition, but you don’t need them anymore, you should try your best to sell them. You never know who could make good use of a second-hand computer, smartphone or tablet.
Before you put a device up for sale on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace, you should do some preparations. First, you’re going to want to wipe your personal data so that the new owner can’t scroll through your old documents, photos or private information. You don’t want to give anyone access to your account passwords or online banking. It should be a blank slate for the next user.
The next thing that you should do is give it a thorough clean. You don’t want to post pictures of a device that’s covered in smudges and scuff marks. A rough appearance will make it much harder to sell. Small actions like wiping down the screen, dusting off the keyboard and replacing the screen protector will make a big difference.
If you’re feeling generous, look for charities that want electronic donations like computers, smartphones and household appliances. That way, you can get rid of your devices and take part in a good cause at the same time.
Now, you don’t have to wonder what to do with that box of electronics sitting in the corner. Recycling, selling or donating your old devices are all much better options than ignoring the rules and tossing them into the garbage.
