Can You Recycle Laptops? A Guide To Laptop Recycling

Disposing of laptops in landfills is inadvisable because its components damage the environment. But can you recycle laptops? Curbside recycling programs usually do not accept laptops, computers, and other electronic waste because they contain hazardous chemicals, but special recycling centers and programs can. 

This article explores the definition of e-waste and discusses ways to prep your computer for recycling and recycling methods.

Table of contents:

What is electronic waste?

Electronic waste is unusable electronic equipment and components. E-waste is classified as hazardous because it often contains harmful substances like mercury, lead, brominated flame retardants, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). 

The world produced 44.7 million tonnes and 53.6 million tons of electrical waste in 2016 and 2019, respectively. The UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report predicts global e-waste production will increase by 21% in five years¹.

We need to be careful when disposing of e-waste because it harms the environment and can cause severe damage to human health through contamination of soil, air, and water. E-waste includes cell phones, computers, laptops, monitors, batteries, speakers, washing machines, inverters, and other power tools. 

Is laptop recycling possible?

Yes, you can recycle old laptops. Do not dump them in the trash because they don’t have biodegradable parts. An old laptop takes up space in landfills, while its hazardous chemicals contaminate the environment and contribute to climate change. USGS estimated that recycling one million laptops can save enough energy to power 3,500 homes in the United States.

How do you prepare for laptop recycling?

Our computers and laptops are parts of us. Important information, pictures, videos, and data are stored on these devices. It is crucial to retrieve these files or delete the unimportant ones before recycling old laptops. Here are ways to prepare an old laptop before recycling them:

Backup important files and data 

It is crucial to store media and data that are important to you before recycling old computers and laptops. You can save important data on a USB drive, external hard drive, or cloud-based storage. USB drives are the most affordable data storage space and offer various storage options. 

You can also use an external hard drive. It has many more storage options than the USB drive and can hold up to 4 terabytes of data. However, unlike cloud-based storage options, it is much more expensive and requires a one-time payment. 

Cloud-based storage options are gaining popularity today. A subscription-based storage service with almost unlimited storage space, such as cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and iCloud, gives you access to your data and media anytime and anywhere. 

Destroy hard drive 

After backing up important files, you should destroy the laptop’s hard drive. Hard drives are the laptop and computer’s internal storage. Deleted files are still available on the internal hard drive, which makes them easily retrievable for experts. 

To destroy the hard drive from your old device, drain the laptop’s battery first before opening its casing. Once you can access its internal components, unscrew the hard drive and smash it to tiny bits with a drill or hammer. 

Wear protective eye gear to avoid bits of the hard drive getting into your eyes. In most cases, it's best to allow a professional to remove the hard drive because you can quickly destroy the critical parts of the old laptop while unscrewing it.  

You can also get software to wipe all the hard drive files. You can use a professional data sanitizer from Great Lakes Electronics to make sensitive data from hard drives unretrievable.

Destroying the hard drive is often the best option when old laptops don't come on anymore. 

Factory reset   

You can also wipe files from unwanted laptops through a factory reset. It is easier than manually deleting. Each operating system has a factory settings icon. 

Windows

You can reset a Windows laptop by clicking on the Settings icon. It will show a bunch of options. Find the Update & Security button and select it.

Click on the Recovery option in the left sidebar. Find the Reset button and click on the Get Started icon. Select the Remove Everything button to clear everything on your unwanted laptop. Follow the screen prompts to delete everything completely.

Macbook

Factory reset on a Macbook is different. Resetting M1 and M2 devices running on Mac operating system Ventura or Monterey:

• Select the Apple Menu in the top left corner of your screen. 
• Click System Preferences and erase all content and settings 
• Enter your Administrator details. 
• Click Continue and Erase All Content & Settings.

Reset Itel-based Macbooks or Macs running on Catalina by signing out of Apple programs. Sign out of iTunes by opening the program. Click on Account and select Authorizations. Then click on Deauthorize This Computer. Input your Apple ID and password to confirm Deauthorize. 

Chromebook

Chromebooks have the most straightforward reset process. Simply log out of your Chromebook. Press and hold Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and R. Then select Restart, click Powerwash, and Continue to complete the reset.

A factory reset requires patience because it takes time to delete everything, depending on the amount of data on the drive and the system configuration. It deletes applications, files, and settings. 

Remove the laptop’s battery. 

In most cases, laptop recycling centers don't accept batteries. You'll have to recycle it separately. So, remove the batteries of old laptops before recycling them. 

How to recycle old laptops?

Now that you know how to prepare your laptop for recycling, here are some tips for recycling your unwanted laptops and old computers. 

Participate in Takeback and Trade-in programs. 

You can recycle laptops through takeback programs by laptop manufacturers and electronic device retailers. These programs pay you a fee for buying back unwanted laptops. Companies that do trade-ins include Dell, Microsoft, Opia, Best Buy, Circuit City, Apple, Lenovo, and Eco-trade. 

Teladvance powers Microsoft’s trade-in program. It offers money worth the value of your laptop, monitor, and computer from over seven brands, including Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Samsung, Razer, and Lenovo. The program offers rewards/values based on the condition of the old electronics, whether they are in working condition or not. 

Lenovo also offers a trade-in program. This program provides a trade-in quote for old electronics and a Visa gift card payment. They recycle Lenovo laptops by offering a free shipping label and packaging materials.

Dell’s take-back program gives you Dell Trade-In Credit to purchase a new laptop. They also recycle batteries, monitors, and computer accessories. Dell even recycles other laptop brands apart from Dell.

Best Buy offers trade-ins for all electronics, including cameras, tablets, computers, and networking devices. They accept up to three items per household per day. After checking its working condition and the availability of charging components, they will give you an e-gift card as payment. 

Drop it at a recycling center.  

The best place to recycle laptops over five years old or non-functional is a recycling center. Many centers specialize in recycling old electronics. Ensure they are registered recyclers to avoid scammers. You can find laptop recycling businesses near you through Earth911, Call2Recycle, the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) Greener Gadgets program, SERI, and Great Lakes Electronics Corporation. 

Donate an unwanted laptop.

Another way to give an unwanted laptop a second life is to donate it to family, friends, and people who need it. When you upgrade to a new computer, this is a suitable way to dispose of an old computer that is about one to three years old.

Some organizations accept donations of old computers. You can donate to World Computer Exchange, Computers With Causes, Human-I-T, Digitunity, and the National Cristina Foundation. You can also donate to local schools and libraries. 

Repair and reuse old electronic devices. 

Some computers and laptops still have a second life in them. You don’t have to dispose of your computer once it develops a fault. You can take it to a repair shop to fix its issues. You can also convert an old laptop into an external monitor. Get applications or cables to control your computer remotely. 

You can also convert it to a network-attached storage system (NAS) to increase the storage system of other devices. NAS allows you to create a bootable CD drive or USB that provides quick remote access to the laptop and its hard drive. Recycling laptops this way enables multiple people to store and share files over an IP network.

Conclusion  

You can properly recycle an old computer and make money with trade-in programs. You can also drop it in an electronic recycling center. Just follow our laptop recycling tips and keep the environment safe. Remember to delete personal information and files from the old machine before recycling.