Whenever a company, business or other organisation no longer needs a computer, printer, server or other piece of electronic equipment they have a duty of care as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility to ensure that it correctly disposed of.
Since the introduction of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive in 2003 (which was then updated in 2014) it is no longer acceptable to simply dump your unwanted electronics into landfill. These items are now treated as ‘hazardous waste’ and thus have to be disposed of following strict guidelines, many of which focus around the requirement to recycle as many items or components as possible.
What’s in a computer?
Computers, be they desktop or laptop, as actually very complex machines which means that they are very difficult to recycle via traditional methods. Obviously it varies by type and model but most PC’s are made up of a combination of elements and components which can include around 23% plastics, 32% ferrous metals, 12% electronic boards and varying amounts of lead, glass and other non-ferrous metals. As a result of this it means that computers can only really be successfully recycled by specialist companies.
Does a computer have to be recycled?
In many cases it is actually preferable to recondition computers and other pieces of electronic equipment and their components, rather than undergoing the difficult, and often energy intensive process of recycling.
Here at Buy IT Back this is always our first port of call, not only because it is a more ecologically sensitive treatment of unwanted computers and other pieces of IT hardware, but also because there are many organisations, both in the UK and abroad, who will willing buy an affordably priced reconditioned computer, rather than buying something brand new. In fact it is through this method that we treat the majority of pieces of redundant electronic equipment, and this is how we are able to offer such competitive prices through our Buy Back scheme.
However in some cases there are components or entire pieces of unwanted IT or telecoms equipment that are unable to be reconditioned and resold, in which case we will move to our specialist recycling process. This involves carefully separating all of the different elements and treating each individually to allow it to be successfully reused.
What are the other options when it comes to computer recycling?
Since the implementations of the WEEE Directive, recycling via a reputable computer recycling company or service is now the only option allowable by law. The WEEE Directive itself actually puts much of the onus onto manufacturers and retailers to provide a sound recycling service. But in many cases you, as the consumer, will be charged for this.
However with nearly 30 years of computer recycling experience under our belts, Buy IT Back are able to offer a very attractive alternative via our Buy Back service. Simply as it sounds this means that we are able to assess the value that we, as computer recycling, reconditioning and reselling experts, are able to unlock from your unwanted computer equipment – and from this calculate what this equipment is actually worth and pay you a fair market price for it! This money could then go towards the cost of replacing the equipment that you thought that you may have to pay to get rid of!
To find out how you could benefit from Buy IT Back’s Buy Back scheme for your unwanted computer and electronic equipment, contact us today.
