Computer recycling
Computer recycling means taking things from old computers and using them in new computer things. The phrase is also used to mean that computers need to be thrown away in a special way, as they often have things that are bad for the environment or dangerous inside them that can cause problems if they are thrown away like usual waste (garbage).
Secure Recycling
Sometimes people are worried that the information inside a computer will be stolen when the computer is thrown away. For example, if you have a product design on an old computer, somebody might copy your design. Big companies have a lot of computers, with a lot of private information on them. They will often pay other companies to remove all the information from a computer before it is thrown away. This usually involves physically destroying the drive. It is possible to non-destructively erase the data on a hard drive by overwriting the entire drive with random numbers. With this method, only the data is destroyed, not the drive itself. This allows the drive to be reused.
Computer Recycling Media
Computer monitors are typically packed into low stacks on wooden pallets for recycling and then shrink-wrapped.
An abandoned Taxan monitor.
Electronic waste is often exported to developing countries.
4.5-volt, D, C, AA, AAA, AAAA, A23, 9-volt, CR2032 and LR44 cells are all recyclable in most countries.
Computers being collected for recycling at a pickup event in Olympia, Washington, United States.
Workers recovering metals from e-waste in Agbogbloshie, a e-waste recovery site in Ghana. Exported e-waste is frequently processed in situations that are unhealthy for the workers, where they are exposed to toxics.
Electronic waste dump at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Organized criminals commonly search the drives for information to use in local scams.
