When it’s time to say goodbye to a phone or computer, take steps to protect both your data and the environment.
We hold our devices close. On average, we spend more than half our days on screens. According to one report by Nielsen, Americans ages 50-64 actually spend more time on screens than younger folks. It can feel like our devices are part of our bodies.
But at a certain point, those devices brick that is, due to hardware or software failures, they inevitably reach the end of their lifespan and become as useful as a brick. At that point, how do we bid farewell to these beloved objects in a way that protects both our privacy and the Earth? It takes a bit more care than just chucking them in the trash.
Protect Your Data
Before recycling your phone, tablet, or computer, it's crucial to take a few steps to ensure your personal data stays safe. You can either perform this process yourself or find a local service to do it for you.
If you’re lucky and your device hasn’t bricked–if it still has some life left in it–start by backing up any data you want to keep. This includes photos, contacts, documents, and other important files, which you can store in cloud services like Google Drive, iCloud, or OneDrive, or transfer to an external hard drive or USB stick. Once your data is safely backed up, make sure to sign out of all accounts associated with the device: your email, social media accounts, cloud services, and any apps that are synced to your identity.
Next, perform a factory reset of the device. On smartphones, this process is typically found under system settings, and it will erase all user data, apps, and personal settings. Computers require a similar process. If you’re extra concerned about security, and especially if you can’t get the device to turn on, you can even physically destroy the drive by drilling holes or smashing it.
Finally, remove any physical components that might store data, such as SIM cards or SD cards. These contain contacts, messages, or other personal information and should either be destroyed or reused securely. You can still remove these when the phone has completely failed and you’re unable to log in to perform any of the steps above. If you were using a newer eSIM, a digital version of a SIM card, be sure to contact your carrier to have them lock the eSIM and eventually transfer it to your new device.
Protect the Planet
Once your device is cleaned of all your data, it’s time to either recycle, donate, or sell it. By doing so, you’re keeping toxic substances like mercury and cadmium out of landfills, along with the reusable materials in the device like metal, plastic, and glass. Plus, 25 states have passed laws related to e-waste.
- Manufacturer Take Back Programs. All major manufacturers have take back or buy back programs (partly because they’re required to by those state laws). Apple, for example, will recycle your device for you for free. Of course, first check if you’re eligible for a trade-in instead. With most companies, you can either mail in your device or take it to your local store.
- The Arc. A national charity with local branches in most states, The Arc supports people with developmental disabilities and their families. Some locations, including The Arc of Alachua County, Florida, accept unwanted devices for free or a small fee. They’ll even wipe and destroy your hard drive for you. Check your local organization’s drop-off policies and fees.
- Best Buy. The retailer supports customers in wiping and recycling old devices of all kinds. They also offer a Trade-In Calculator to help you understand if your device has any trade-in value.
- Donate. If your device isn’t bricked, consider donating it to a charity that will refurbish it and get it into the hands of people who need it. Check for local organizations, or go international with a group like World Computer Exchange, who will accept all devices newer than seven years old via mail, clean them, and send them to schools in need around the world.
- Recycle locally. If mailing in your device seems like a hassle, there’s surely a recycling center near you that accepts drop-offs of e-waste. Check out Call2Recycle, where you can plug in your zip code and find local centers that will accept as many devices as you can bring them.
Our devices provided us with many hours of entertainment in their working days; it seems only right that we take a little care with them when it’s time to say goodbye. And with e-waste the fastest-growing waste stream, expected to hit 82 million metric tons per year worldwide by 2030, recycling those devices only grows more important for the planet every year.
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