The gold mines in disguise

16 Mar

The gold mines in disguise

“Australians are among the highest users of new technology in the world.” but Fewer than 10% of PCs and laptops are recycled in Australia and they are quickly becoming problem for the environment.

Give the gift of hope. Donate directly to those in need.

Even in affluent countries like Australia, not every family can afford a computer or phone. With more people working and learning remotely, many including children will have to share their device with other family members, if there is one for them to use in the first place. If your electronics are still in working order, you can donate them directly to those individuals who are in need. Scope Logic has been proudly supplying fully encrypted second-hand computers to vulnerable people and communities in Australia through GIVIT.

Working with more than 4,300 support organisations, we ensure people get what they need when they need it most – whether recovering from an emergency event, or experiencing hardship due to circumstances such as drought, domestic and family violence, homelessness, disability, and mental health.
GIVIT

Or trade in your old devices for some cash

Another good option for recycling electronics is bring them back to the company you purchased them from. They may offer a price reduction on a newer version. You can either bring it to the store, go to a hardware drop of site, or mail them in for recycling. Some of the tech retailers that have a trade-in program include

Apple https://www.apple.com/au/trade-in/

Jbhifi https://www.jbhifi.com.au/pages/jbtradein

Harvey Norman https://www.harveynorman.com.au/trade-in

Telstra https://www.telstra.com.au/trade-in

Microsoft https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/store/b/microsoft-trade-in

Recycle it. Because it has real gold

Did you know your electronics have gold and other precious metals like silver or palladium in them?

98% of the components in your computer or television can be fully recycled.
Recycling circuit boards can be more valuable than mining for ore! A ton of circuit boards is estimated to contain 40 to 800 times more gold than one metric ton of ore. There is 30 to 40 times more copper in a ton of circuit boards that can be mined from one metric ton of ore.
For every million cell phones that are recycled, 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

Devices that have reached end of life can be separated into components, then recycled for valuable materials. The use of these recycled materials can prevent electronics being made from new or ‘virgin’ materials, helping to reduce overall impact.

There are a few different recycling options, try to find one that is close to you or make use of your local council’s e-waste collection service.

Things to do before recycling

There are different methods to remove your data from your old devices. Some require a base level of knowledge on computer systems. For personal computers, we recommend the following steps to keep your data safe and secure when recycling your devices.

Other things to consider about data disposal

If you have a work machine, be sure to check with your employer, or ask a professional encryption service company about how to manage professional information on your computer. Australia has a very stringent requirement on data security and disposal requirements related to customers, they may also have access to advanced tools that can totally wipe a drive.

What's in Scope