How to Properly Throw Away Electronics

It’s likely that your business or company has been using various electronics to store sensitive and identifying information. Over time, computers, tablets, and other devices become out of date and need to be replaced. While some companies throw away electronics, this is not a best practice for companies to use. Instead, companies should use third-party computer recyclers to get securely rid of e-waste.

When you throw away old electronic devices, they end up in landfills where they can harm the environment. Electronic devices have trace materials of harmful chemicals such as mercury, and these chemicals can leak into the soil and even get into water supplies. Another reason that you should not throw away electronics in landfills is that simply deleting files from a computer does not mean that the information is gone. When you delete files, the data is still stored on the hard drive and can be found by any hacker who gets their hands on your devices. This means that any sensitive information that had been stored on the device is now in danger of getting into the wrong hands. Lucky for you, there are other alternatives to simply throwing away old electronics into the landfill.

One great way to give back is to donate. If your electronic devices are still relatively new and functioning, you can always donate it various organizations that would benefit from computers. Examples include community centers, schools, and even goodwill locations. If you choose to give your electronics, be sure to have the hard drive wiped of secure information so that your information is still protected. If your old devices will not be donated, the best way to get rid of the devices in an environmentally friendly way that will also keep your data secure is by taking it to a recycling center where the device will be physically destroyed. Information will be 100% irrecoverable, and all recyclable components of the computer will be reused.