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There are some easy options available to you when disposing of electronics:

1. Pass it onto friends or family
2. Find an online/offline trade-in service
3. Sell it online via eBay, Gumtree or Shpock etc.
4. Sell via social media (e.g. Facebook Marketplace, Depop etc.)
5. Re-use it
6. Give to charity (e.g. a women’s refuge centre or homeless centre)
7. Recycle it

Cash-in on your old electronics

Instead of recycling your old electronics, you may want to earn some extra money quickly by trading in your items in exchange for money or a voucher. There are a number of trade-in websites and shops, including CeX and Cash Converters, which can be found on most local high streets and in close proximity to main towns. Depending on where you go, companies accept a range of items including kitchen appliances (toasters, microwaves etc.), old laptops, desktop computers, games consoles and, most commonly, mobile phones.

If convenience isn’t that important to you, you can get significantly more for your old electronics by selling them yourself. You can do this by selling online via websites like eBay, Gumtree or Shpock, or even social media such as Facebook Marketplace, Instagram or Depop – this may even bag you some more cash in the bank as you’re cutting out the middleman.

How to recycle electronics

It is vital that you never throw old electronic gadgets away. Of course you can get rid of your old electronic devices, but never place them directly into your bin to be sent to landfill. By doing this, your old electronics may leak hazardous and toxic chemicals into the soil, thus contaminating the land. As a result, it is vital to dispose of electronics properly to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Recycling of WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) is a specialist part of the waste and recycling industry. Therefore, to ensure that your old electronics are recycled responsibly, you should follow the WEEE guidelines carefully.

According to Gov.uk, televisions, laptops, tablets and mobile phones with screens must be disposed of carefully and safely. This is because some components inside the electronic items are hazardous – lead, mercury and other substances can leech from old monitors and circuit boards – which means you are putting potentially toxic materials into the ground which can negatively affect people’s health as well as wildlife too.

Some hazardous components can include the following:

• Activated glass
• Phosphors
• CRT
• Fluorescent backlight
• Printed circuit boards containing nickel
• Capacitors
• Ni-Cd batteries for portable devices

– Which parts of a gadget can be recycled?

We think of electronics as holistic devices so we’re sometimes not aware of what they are comprised of. Around 80% of a phone is recyclable for instance, so even if you have spare parts lying around, chances are they can be recycled. Specifically, the following parts can be recycled:

• Batteries – Most gadget batteries are made from Lithium Ion and are recycled in an oxygen-free mechanical process that separates it into its core elements of cobalt and lithium salt concrete, stainless steel, copper, aluminium and plastic.
• Bezel – The bezel of a gadget refers to any metal, plastic or other materials covering the exterior that doesn’t include its glass screen. These can be very valuable to sell, but by recycling you are also doing your bit in helping to be eco-friendlier!
• PCB boards (main boards) – These are the parts of electronics that look like a maze of wires and metal buttons, and they can be re-used if the materials are effectively extracted.
• Memory chips – Any gadget with a memory chip has the potential to be valuable. When extracted, materials that can be yielded include mercury, lead, iron, silver and even gold.

– What is the process for recycling electronic components?

The method of recycling components varies for each local recycling plant, so it is important to speak to your local recycling centre to be sure. As a general rule of thumb, most places include the following:

• Collection – Once you’ve agreed on a price for your old electronics or electronic components with the recycling company, you will then send them off.
• Shredding – Your electronic devices and components are shredded into small pieces to allow for more precise separation its components.
• Sorting and separating – A powerful magnet can separate any valuable metals from waste streams on a conveyor, allowing the useful materials to be reused/sold in the future.