Handle With Care

Unsure about what to do with your old technology products? There are a number of ways those gadgets can be put to good use, or at the very least recycled correctly to keep our environment safe.

We all have one of those cupboards at home – the one crammed full with out-of-date or broken electronic devices. Perhaps you’ve even made it one of your “New Year’s resolutions” to give it a good clear out once and for all. But what exactly should you do with old technology products? Here are a few ideas to help get you started.

1. Re-use Or Upcycle

Electronics make for particularly bad waste. Their toxic substances have the potential to poison both our soil and our drinking water, however, they can also contain rare and precious materials. With this in mind, it’s important you handle them correctly and sending them to a landfill is probably the worst choice you could make. You’d be surprised how you can re-use or repurpose old devices and their parts. Your old computer could be turned into a web server, or you could donate the computing power of your out-dated laptop to science. Old android devices make great audio players or gaming devices for the grandkids, or you could simply turn your old smartphone into an alarm clock or Skype phone. Old iPads (or any tablets) are ideal for digital photo frames too.

2. Pay It Forward

Why not gift your outdated devices to family, friends or strangers? Maybe there’s a community centre or local school that would be appreciative of a computer, laptop or tablet? There are a number of charities that will take old or broken computers and repair them to working order for classrooms or libraries. Otherwise you could offer your collection for free on websites such as Gumtree (gumtree.com. au) or Sell Buy Swap Free (sellbuyswapfree.com.au) – undoubtedly someone will snap up your unwanted treasure and put it to good use.

3. Sell, Sell, Sell!

If you’d like a bit of extra pocket money in return for your old devices, MacBooks or iPhones would be relatively easy to sell online. Try sites like eBay (ebay.com.au), or visit your local technology stores to see if they’d be happy to re-sell your device as a refurbished model.

4. Recycle Right

Finally, if all other options have been exhausted, make sure your old gadget gets recycled properly. Most councils offer recycling stations that will be sure to help out. Recycling Near You (recyclingnearyou.com. au/computers) invites you to type in your state, suburb, post code and local council before redirecting you to your nearest recycling station. TechCollect (techcollect. com.au) is another free, not-for-profit national recycling service for computers, accessories and TVs. Their website will also help you track down the best place to recycle all sorts of electronic waste.