How to Responsibly Dispose of Your Electronics (2025)

If you have An old phone that languishes in a desktop or a broken portable computer that accumulates dust on the back of a closet, there will never be a better time to get rid of it. There are many possibilities that your unwanted device can return to the useful service, and you can even make some cash or help another person. Recycling should be the last resort, but if there is nothing more for your device, there are ways to recycle electronics responsible.

Global E-Waste exceeded 50 million metric tons in 2019, according to the United Nations Global Electronic Waste Monitorand only 17.4 percent of those waste were collected and recycled. Too many old electronics end up in landfills and infernal cemeteries of electronic waste where they Veneno communities. The problem is just getting worse. He Electrical and Electronic Waste Equipment forum (WEEE) He estimates that 5,300 million phones withdrew in 2022. Governments, companies and people are waking up to the fact that we must do better. The big question is, how? Here are some resources, services and ideas that can help.

Updated in February 2025: We have added tips on the recycling electronic and the details about a new battery recycling program.

Use more time devices

Before throwing devices, consider using them a little more. Do you really need to update? Maybe you can reuse your old device to squeeze more life. You can turn that old phone into a webcam, for example. If you are dead to buy a new device, investigate to find ethical and ecological electronics. Look for manufacturers and retailers with exchange and recycling programs.

Consider buying products used on eBay or other markets, or look for restored devices. Manufacturers like Apple and Samsung Offer restored devices with a discount, and you can find a lot of Restored products on Amazon. Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of sustainability of Ifixitrecommends Recoil For restored phones.

Pass the devices in

Passing devices to family members, friends and neighbors who can use them is the best way to squeeze the maximum value of them. «Do not let the hibernen devices in a garbage drawer or a closet and discard,» says Jeff Seibert, who works in Seri (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International). «Put them in the hands of another person who can use them as quickly as possible because the oldest devices get, the less positive impact can have.»

If you don’t know anyone who can use your old electronics, try the Freecycle Red Or buy local groups on Facebook to find people interested in gifts.

Repair and renew

Whether you plan to squeeze a little more than one device, you want to pass it to someone or plan to sell it, repair or restore it first is an intelligent movement. If you want to try to repair a device, Ifixit It is a great place to start. It has more than 90,000 step -by -step repair guides that cover phones, tablets, laptops, computers, game consoles and cameras.

YouTube is another great place to find repair videos, and Chamberlain recommends verifying repair technicians such as Louis Rossmann, Jessa Jones, Ben and garbage appliancesand Redilds RedsBut there is no shortage of repair videos for the specific device you are looking for.