According to new research, the average Australian is particularly average when it comes to recycling their old electronics.
Not-for-profit E-waste recycling service TechCollect has found that 43-percent of Australians are holding onto their old tech “just in case”, and that just over half of those surveyed are worried they’ll lose their personal data or have it stolen.
Perhaps more surprising is the lack of public knowledge on the issue, with a huge 83-percent of respondents not knowing where to recycle e-waste, and 60-percent not even knowing it could be recycled at all.
Despite this, it seems that most people are aware their devices contain valuable and recoverable resources (60-percent) and that dumping them in landfill is hazardous for the environment (69-percent).
What should we do?
TechCollect CEO, Carmel Dollisson is concerned about the findings, “These figures are definitely worrying to us [...] it’s important the public is informed on the important role they play in responsible e-waste recycling”.
The service offers some rather helpful utilities for recycling your devices. You can find out what exactly TechCollect accepts, and then find your nearest disposal site. However, it’s worth noting that the service doesn’t wipe your device for you, so be sure to back-up any data you want to keep and securely wipe your device clean.
In a time where the average Australian household is harbouring 17 electronic devices, educating the public on the proper disposal of e-waste and the non-renewable resources that come with it, is crucial.
- Here's some info on how to wipe an old tablet, or how to securely erase all data from an SSD if you're looking to recycle them.
