what do you do with old electronics?

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MercatorLondon@reddit

I deal with it in this order:

ebay > charity shop > freecycle > waste

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littletorreira@reddit

Waste should equal taking them to a shop with electronic recycling

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My local tip has the bases covered quite well: they have a built-in charity shop and if whatever you drop off there doesn’t sell they’ll put it in the most appropriate pile for recycling. Saves me a step!

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littletorreira@reddit

Oh lovely! Mine has the sections but no shop for me to plunder, much to my partner's joy. She knows I'd bring home too much tut.

Tbh if it's only one or two things it's easier for a lot of people to get to a B&Q or similar. But lots of stuff then yeah the tip is perfect.

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thesteelmaker@reddit

Take them to your local council tip. Put them in the electronic waste skip. It is that simple.

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FaxOnFaxOff@reddit

What happens to it all? How much is recycled and what is it actually worth? Sure there are lots of metals but also plastics all mixed together. How much ends up in landfill (abroad?)?

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thesteelmaker@reddit

All the metals (the majority of the waste) is sold on. All circuit board waste is sold for Copper, Gold, Silver, Platinum smelting. The mixed glass is sold on, it goes towards aggregate used in concrete blocks. The cardboard goes for recycling. The wood and rubbish goes to be recycled/Energy from waste. The dirt/residue is sold on for Gold, Silver and Copper recovery. The plastic is a shredded mix of plastics. 5 Companies take it. 3 recycle what they can and Energy from Waste what they can not use, the other 2 are Energy from Waste companies.

Recycling is tightly governed by the Environment Agency, and our company is fully compliant. Nothing from us goes to landfill, landfill is to expensive, nearly everything we sell on has good value and offsets what we pay to have taken away. The only items that get sent abroad, is the material for smelting, which has a very high value.

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hittherock@reddit

Put them in a box just in case. Just in case hasn't happened yet. I have a box full of shit.

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Expresso_Presso@reddit

Then 15 years later clear it out

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Cam2910@reddit

And 2 weeks later, need something you just threw out.

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Expresso_Presso@reddit

I'm my case it was the next day. That item was a scart cable before you ask.

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First_Folly@reddit

Ooh I have loads of those. And a scart multitap. And switched RF cables.

They'll be clearing them out when I snuff it.

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Expresso_Presso@reddit

Yes keep them. I threw a scart lead out amongst a heap of other stuff. Then needed a scart lead to connect a vhs machine (remember those). Bought another scart lead. Then when having a clear out find another scart lead hidden away and forgot I had.

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Few-Pepper858@reddit

Scart cable...havent thought about them since the PS2 days. Good times

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Ok-Ambassador4950@reddit

I think there’s a lot to be said for taking things for recycling at responsible or seemingly responsible retailers or companies. I’ve returned most of my old dead Apple stuff to Apple, along with some non-Apple stuff too. I didn’t get monetary credit for it, but they said it’d be recycled. Maybe safer data wise too?

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thesteelmaker@reddit

All your electronics you sent to Apple will have been "Recycled", but not by Apple. Shhhhhhhh.

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MontyDyson@reddit

I had an old iMac from 2007 that I gave to a mate who plopped a raspberry pi in to it and made it in to a retro arcade machine. Ran like a dream. Lots of old Apple stuff can be repurposed.

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UniquePotato@reddit

If they still have value, eBay. If they don’t our tip has a section for old electronics.

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when_music_hits@reddit

Freecycle/gumtree/freegle. Give them away, some people Really need all the help they can get.

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Excellent-Law-218@reddit

I agree in principle but you get people who basically camp on there waiting to grab stuff to sell on

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sihasihasi@reddit

you get people who basically camp on there waiting to grab stuff to sell on

Yeah, but you're still rid of it, yes? I generally wait until I have a few responses, and offer it to the one that's politest (and first, if multiple).

"I'd love this for my , is it still available, please?"

vs

"When can I collect?"

If I've only got the latter after a day or so, then they're welcome to it. If it was worth much, I'd already have sold it myself, so if they need the cash enough to warrant collecting my junk and selling it, then that's fine with me.

I've got rid of loads of stuff on Freecycle over the years, and people are generally very grateful.

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when_music_hits@reddit

There will always be parasites, but there will also be good natured people too. If someone is that desperate they they need stuff to sell on, it's not your concern.

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Excellent-Law-218@reddit

If someone is that desperate they they need stuff to sell on, it's not your concern.

Well, it is my concern, because it's my property and I can choose who it goes to.

I used to use these sites when I was downsizing to a smaller house. I soon noticed i'd get very fast responses from the same people, who always had some sick or elderly family member who desperately needed whatever I was offering. It was an insult to my intelligence.

Any genuine takers were being drowned out by these type of messages. Charity shop much easier - no sob stories, no ghosting, no spamming.

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when_music_hits@reddit

OK princess. I just don't care enough to be that controlling when giving my stuff away, as long as it's gone.

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sheepandlambs@reddit

Depends what it is. I still own every laptop I have ever owned. One of them I used as a test dummy for when I wanted to experiment with Linux, and that ended up being taken on holiday when my main laptop died shortly before the trip.

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420o@reddit

Agreed, I'm the same with phones. Always have the previous one spare. They're usually worth very little once I've upgraded anyway and have come in very handy if anything goes wrong with the newer one.

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shak_0508@reddit

Yep I never throw away laptops. Ended using an old as a Plex server for a bit, repurposed a HDD from another one etc.

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YUCryingBro@reddit

Wow what a great story bro. Got anymore?

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nrsys@reddit

If they have any value, sell them. Have a look on places like eBay out Facebook marketplace to see what prices similar items are selling for and how they compare to yours, and that should give you an idea if it is worth bothering.

Items of use can also be donated to places like charity shops and similar.

If items are off no value any more, broken out otherwise damaged, most councils will collect electronics at your local tip for recycling.

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Automatic-Plan-9087@reddit

I’ve got a gert bag full of old mobile phones and chargers. Keep promising myself I’ll do something with them one day. Reckon by the time that day comes they’ll be with a fortune on antiques roadshow 🤣🤣

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ShineAtom@reddit

If the stuff is no longer working and needs to be recycled there are plenty of places to do this. My local tip recycles electronics. If you are planning to donate or sell old laptops/tablets/phones then do wipe all your personal information off them before doing so.

This site can help you find a disposal point for recycling or a retailer who recycles electronics.

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Sure-Recognition-262@reddit

Mostly either just take to the electronics recycling at the dump, or put in a drawer with the intention of doing something but never getting round to it.

Used a few tablets as static displays though - a few as digital photo frames and one as a tiny additional screen for a PC

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NoNotGrowingUp@reddit

Depends on the age and if it still works - CEX may take some of the working stuff, your council may have a scheme for non-working electronics. Currys have a scheme for old electronics and a different one for old applicances, they don't need to be working.

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Low_Border_2231@reddit

Curry's have a box where they take and allegedly recycle old electronics, I put stuff in there. If I buy anything or not.

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Any-Republic-4269@reddit

I put them in the recycling as the local council says I should. They never ever ever get collected so then I chuck them in the wheelie bin and they do get taken

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saxbophone@reddit

Crossed out wheelie bin symbol had one job and failed at it! 😅

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f-lewizz@reddit

Not advertising but try www.mazuma.com

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lavayuki@reddit

If it can be sold I trade it in. There are a few online sites that take tech. Music Magpie gave me £12 for a non functional iphone. If not, I take them to recycling.

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OpeningSubject5942@reddit

I usually try to sell anything that still works eBay Facebook Marketplace, donate usable stuff, and take the rest to an electronics recycling centre so it doesn’t end up in landfill .

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Excellent-Law-218@reddit

Depends how much you need the cash. I decided it wasnt worth headache of dealing with picky / deadbeat buyers, once i calculated how much i was "earning" per hour listing/packing/selling I realised it was pointless for me personally. I usually check if any family / friends wants it first , then charity shop it.

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