Do not put electronics in the trash. Back up and sign out of your accounts, then take computers, phones, monitors, security systems and cables to a recycler. Techy West Hialeah recycles obsolete electronics for free, and a free pickup schedule is coming soon.
Why not just throw electronics away?
Electronics contain materials worth recovering and some that should not end up in a landfill. Lithium batteries can also start fires in garbage trucks and bins. Recycling recovers metals and keeps hazardous parts out of the trash.
What are your options?
- Free drop-off at Techy West Hialeah, 3311 W 80th St, Unit 10A.
- Manufacturer or retailer take-back programs for specific brands.
- Community collection events and local government programs, which vary by area.
- Trade-in or sale if the device still has value.
How do you protect your data before recycling?
- Back up anything you want to keep.
- Sign out of your accounts (Apple ID, Google, Microsoft).
- Use the factory reset option on phones, tablets and computers when you can.
- Remove SIM cards and memory cards.
- Ask the recycler how they handle storage devices.
How much gold is in your old phone?
Phones contain small amounts of gold, silver, copper and palladium. The U.S. EPA estimates that recycling one million cell phones recovers about 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium, which works out to a very small amount per phone. The value is in recovering materials at scale, not in any single device.