How does everyone handle old tech and e-waste recycling

We ended up putting a basic process around it because the ad-hoc approach got hmm let's say risky.

So, once a laptop or drive is taken out of use, we record the device and serial number, remove it from any management/accounts it’s tied to, and keep it in a separate place until the data has been dealt with. Anything that might be reused gets wiped properly first and then checked before it goes back into circulation.

If a device is leaving us completely, I’m a bit more cautious. For working drives we use a proper secure erase method appropriate for the type of storage, and anything failed or unreliable gets physically destroyed rather than trusting that a normal reset has removed everything. We also keep a simple record of what happened to each device and the date it was disposed of.

After that, the hardware goes through an authorized electronics recycling route. I don’t have a particular recycler I’d recommend, but I would check that they can provide some kind of documented chain of custody or confirmation of destruction if the devices contained business data.

We went from "box in the cupboard" to a simple process, and it's made a big difference:

Track it. Anything retired gets logged by serial number, so you know what left the building and when.
Wipe by drive type. For HDDs, a proper overwrite following NIST 800-88 works. For SSDs, overwriting is unreliable, so use the manufacturer's secure erase or crypto-erase. If the drive was already fully encrypted, wiping the keys makes this much easier. Anything that fails or looks sketchy gets physically destroyed.
Phones and laptops: remove them from MDM and your accounts first, otherwise Activation Lock or FRP can leave them useless to anyone else.
Pick a certified recycler. Look for R2 or e-Stewards certification, and ask for a certificate of data destruction. If they can't explain their chain of custody, skip them.

Also check whether a local refurbished or the manufacturer takes devices back. Working gear is better reused than shredded.

Recycling or repurposing old hardware is a great approach. Instead of recycling old smartphones or webcams, many people now repurpose them into home monitoring cameras for pets or basic room monitors.

At Pet Paper, we frequently discuss sustainable pet care and smart setups where re-using old tech (like turning old iPads into interactive screens or monitoring hubs) works really well. It's a great way to extend device lifespans before sending them off to official e-waste centers.

In my experience, the biggest gap is not finding a recycler but having a documented process before hardware piles up. A simple asset register plus a clear rule, like secure erase for working drives and physical destruction for failed ones, removes most of the risk and the guesswork. The other lesson is to reuse where possible, since a working laptop redeployed internally beats recycling it on cost and on environmental impact.

Thanks for letting me know about this one beacse thats too much good

Good question — I usually wipe the drives first, then take the rest to a certified local recycler instead of letting old hardware pile up in a drawer. It takes a little extra effort, but it is worth it for peace of mind .

I keep a small box for retired gear and only clear it out every few months, which stops old drives sitting around forgotten. I wipe anything that still works before it leaves the house, and dead drives go to a local certified recycler rather than in the bin. Working phones and laptops I usually pass on to family first, since reuse beats recycling for me.

I still consider Best Buy my favorite store to do that type recycling. There are some limits and it is best to confirm with them ahead of time with very large devices. As I mentioned in October, Staples is another good option.

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