GoKawiilWiping your data before dropping off an old device takes about five minutes and is the one step worth doing before anything else. Johner Royalty Free/Getty Images
The decision to finally do something about all your old electronics is usually the hardest part. Once it’s made, the process turns out to be shorter and cheaper than almost anyone expects. Major retailers run free drop-off programs that accept old computers, laptops and printers regardless of brand or condition. Plus, most manufacturers offer take-back programs that cover their own products, sometimes including free mail-in shipping. The only thing that generally needs attention before handing anything over is the data on it, and wiping a hard drive only takes about five minutes on most devices. Here’s how to handle all of it in a single afternoon.
Major retailers such as Best Buy and Staples have become drop-off hubs for digital junk. You can walk into a store with a dead PC or a clunky old scanner and hand it over for free, regardless of where you bought it. Some of these places will even give you a discount on new gear or a trade-in credit just for helping them reclaim the heavy metals and plastics that don’t belong in a landfill. It’s the easiest way to recover your storage space without feeling like a jerk for tossing electronics in the trash.
The only real “work” on your end is making sure you aren’t handing over your entire life history along with the hardware. Before you dump a device, you need to do a legitimate data wipe — not just drag files to the trash can. A 10-minute factory reset or a dedicated drive-scrubbing tool ensures your old tax returns and saved passwords don’t become someone else’s property. Stop acting like you’re going to “fix” that laptop from 2015 and let a professional recycler break it down for parts instead.
What to do before you recycle your old computer
Wherever you take or mail in your items to be recycled, you’ll want to protect your data by removing it as best you can. One way to do this is to perform a factory reset on your computer. Our guide walks you through the process.
Where to recycle your old printers and computers
Some retail stores will accept computers and printers for recycling, but it’s not always a free service. Policies vary by company.
Apple
You can recycle your old Apple computers, monitors and peripherals, such as printers, for free at an Apple store, but there’s a costly catch. According to the Apple Free Recycling program, you must purchase a qualifying Apple computer or monitor to receive this service. Need another option? A third-party company called Gazelle buys old MacBooks to recycle them. After accepting Gazelle’s offer, you print a prepaid label or request a prepaid box and ship the machine to them.
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