Is anyone else a bit of a tech-gremlin?
By this I mean you cling to your old gadgets as if
they are a long lost friend you simply aren’t ready to say goodbye to.
Yeah.
Some you may wish to add to your ancient tech-museum but others, it’s time to say goodbye.
Today, we’ll go over how to properly prep and recycle your old unused devices.
This is DIY in 5!
Hey everyone!
I’m Trisha Hershberger and you are watching DIY in 5!
Today we’re doing some tech house cleaning, and by that I mean getting that tech
we no longer use, dusting it off and giving it new purpose rather than simply letting it
collect dust in our drawer or even worse, throwing it in the trash, which is super no bueno for the environment.
Whether you decide to donate, resell, exchange for an upgrade or use a professional recycling service,
there are some steps you’ll want to take before fully saying goodbye
and I’ll walk you through them as well as some great recycling resources for when you are ready to let go.
First, you’ll want to prep your old tech.
Back up your data you want to keep, delete anything you don’t.
When you delete information, it’s best to completely wipe the hard drive to ensure everything is gone.
We have previous DIY in 5 videos linked in the description if you want a step-by-step
walkthrough on how to best wipe your drive.
Then you’ll want to remove anything you’ve added, like batteries, SIM cards, expanded storage solutions or peripherals.
Once your device is ready to go, let’s decide where it goes from here.
You may choose to sell your old tech - keep in mind your e-waste might be someone else's treasure.
If the tech you are getting rid of is still somewhat in demand - old GPUs I’m looking at you,
this may be a good option.
There are many resale apps and websites available, some that will buy it directly from you or
link you up with interested buyers.
If you instead want to donate your used electronics, there are many charities, non-profits, senior centers
and hospitals that may take them off your hands.
Computers with Causes takes old computers and gives them to people in need.
Secure the Call accepts donations of old phones and tablets and gives them to people in need,
often victims of domestic violence or seniors who need a way to contact 911 emergency services.
If you just upgraded to the PS5 let’s say and you have a PS4 you are no longer using,
call your local hospital and see if they’d like it for their children’s ward.
Not only does this help clean your home, but it’s good for the heart as well.
Speaking of kids, do you have a little one who may be able to make use of your old tech?
Depending what it is, an old phone or tablet, let’s say might be a great device for your little!
Just wipe, factory reset, upgrade a bit if needed, and only install kid-appropriate programs
and you're good to go!
If you were thinking of making a tech upgrade yourself, perhaps a trade-in program may be of interest to you.
Some manufacturers and retailers will give you sizable discounts in exchange for old tech.
In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has a listing of manufacturers and
retailers with trade-in programs that are awesome in addition to their list of electronics recycling programs.
Remember when I said throwing out electronics was no bueno for the planet?
Yeah...even the EPA is getting in on this.
And if you don’t think there’s a demand to resell, trade-in or donate, there are many
ways to go through a recycling program.
In addition to the EPA’s list, which meets their standards and criteria for properly
recycling electronics, there are e-waste companies that specialize in disposing of electronic waste,
and some of them will even re-wipe the device for you just in case there was
anything you missed when you prepped your device before recycling it.
Call2Recycle is a battery and cell phone recycling program.
Earth911 and Sustainable Electronics Recycling International are both searchable directories
where you can choose the type of item you want to recycle and find a center near you.
Saying goodbye to old tech can be tough,
but knowing you are doing it in a sustainable way that will benefit others, makes it all the sweeter.
Thanks for watching everyone and I’ll see you next time with more DIY in 5!