Computer recycling advice 'rubbish' says Computing Which?
Looking for advice on recycling a computer? Even if you found some, it wouldn’t be worth bothering with, says Computing Which? magazine.
A Computing Which? survey has found that Which? members have so many computer cables lying around that, if laid end to end, they’d stretch all the way from London to Manchester. It also found that members had 180,000 unused computers and 160,000 monitors gathering dust at home.
Fancy asking the local council? Well, according to the survey, only one in seven councils could say what would happen with the computer after it was recycled and only two fifths of councils who said they’d recycle a computer could say with certainty that equipment would actually be recycled. One council worker said: ‘They just literally go into the landfill; they get smashed apart.’ You really don’t want to know what they said about your personal data.
According to Which?, you should use specialist software to remove your data, then take your PC to a recycling point. PC retailers also offer free ‘take-back’ facilities for customers and some charities take old PCs – some councils do have details of this.
Which?
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