Technology is moving fast, and because of this a lot of us have our old gadgets and tech locked away out of sight. When you get a new phone, your old one probably ends up in a drawer somewhere.
Apparently, we really should change our attitude towards old technology. The likes of old laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras etc just sitting around actually affects our ability to make new devices in the future.
What do we mean by that though? Well, each of these devices contains elements that are vital to creating new technology, and a lot of them are becoming increasingly rarer and harder to get hold of. However, if we started recycling our old technology, then it would help the planet and the industry a lot.
Apparently, an old smart phone contains around 30 different elements that could be put into a new phone if it were to be recycled. With this relatively unknown shortage of “rare earth elements”, the earth could be exhausted of them within the next 100 years.
What to do with old tech and gadgets
If you have an old smart phone that just isn’t worth selling on anymore or anything else of the sort, you should definitely get it recycled. It frees up space for you, and helps towards recycling of materials. That means Earth doesn’t get drained of its resources so quickly!
Don’t just place your old items in a wheelie-bin either. They need to go to a proper processing plant where they can be made use of properly. Certain retailers will possibly buy back your old tech, especially phones. In fact, a lot of companies are dedicated to recycling phones and while you won’t get a lot for them, it still beats having it lying around for nothing. If you’re unsure on how to correctly dispose of any items, just go to your local tip for some advice. They’ll likely just take it off your hands.
Any data on these devices isn’t going to be leaked either. A simple factory reset or formatting of a hard-drive etc will get rid of EVERYTHING, so don’t worry about anyone getting hold of it and using your personal information. If the device is broken and beyond repair, then you haven’t got too much to worry about anyway.
Do you have any old tech stored in your drawers? Get them sorted! The planet could do with a hand right now, and this is a good start.