College – Recycle IT

Recycle IT Safely – Computers, Phone, Tablet & Hard Disks!

According to preliminary sales figures from Gartner and IDC, PC sales fell throughout 2016. Its seems that infrequent users like you and me are more likely to reach for a smartphone to access applications that ten years ago would have needed a PC. As a result of this trend, the market is declining and is set to decline again in 2017. The graph below shows PC sales figures from 2006 to 2015 and the ongoing reduction in sales over more recent years.

It’s also worth noting that PC enthusiasts, gamers and the business sector will continue to purchase PC in large volumes and globally, PC sales in 2016 stood at approx. 269.7 million units shipped which is still a large number.

Data and Information

Even with PC sales slowing we are all still large consumers of information and we are buying lots of electronic equipment with hard disk drives (HDD) to store business and personal customer information including photos of everything from our kids to bank statements and passwords (so we can have a reminder).

Whether this information is stored on external HDD, mobile phones, tablets, memory cards, memory keys or other storage devices people should be aware how important it is to destroy and recycle safely once the items have served their purpose. Both business and personal data can be valuable to others so it’s important to destroy the data on your PC, phone, memory card or tablet.

Hard Disk Drives - Recycle IT — Hard Disk Drives – Recycle IT

You might be thinking, what will I do with all that information on the HDD before recycling a PC? If so, please don’t try to burn or use industrial-strength magnetic forces on the devices as these methods are not full proof or safe!

What to Do next?

The key is to destroy your computer HDD is ensuring it can’t ever spin again. The physical destruction of the drive means increased confidence that stored data is obliterated and can never be used again. This is the method Recycle IT prescribe and practice.

In the interest of time and money, you don’t need to destroy the full PC or laptop just the hard drive which is a small box inside of computer itself and usually contains sensitive information including credit card information, photos or contact details. So if you are upgrading to a new computer device (desktop computer, phone, laptop, tablet, etc.) please arrange for the removal of the hard drive at the same time as recycling the computer!

How to Destroy the HDD?

If you are looking to dispose of an old computer with a hard drive, it’s really best to physically destroy the old hard drive just to be 100% certain that the old data is completely destroyed. Recycle IT use electronic tools and powerful cutting tools to ensure the HDD is destroyed. This method is an ideal option for disposal of home or office hard drives.

Drilling or Cutting Hard Disk Drives - Recycle IT — Drilling or Cutting Hard Disk Drives – Recycle IT

Safety in Destruction

Our team take every precaution from wearing protective goggles, gloves, and a dust mask for mouth and nose when cutting into the metal drive. They can cut right through the drive, from one side to the other multiple times ensuring the platters and the controller board are shattered. Once complete Recycle IT can provide destruction and disposal certification depending on your needs.

Finally

It’s worth making the point again – failure to arrange the destruction of your old hard drives at the time of recycling your computer or phone could result in the inappropriate sharing of sensitive information.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is an award-winning not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

During 2016 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, printers and networking equipment. This helps sustain jobs and create training opportunites for people returning to works.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by Pobal, South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Recycle IT - Pakman Award Winner 2016 — Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winner 2016

If you need more information you can call Recycle IT a call on 01 4578321 or email info@recycleit.ie

To learn more about recycling old batteries from you office safely please click UPS battery systems

The Pakman Awards 2016

The Pakman Awards are a national awards programme that recognize excellence in waste management and recycling among businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals in Ireland. The overall awards are arranged by Repak with various categories sponsored by a range of Irish organisations which you will find listed here.

Whether you are a local recycler, tidy towns group just starting out or a large organisation recovering, processing or transporting waste materials you are encouraged to submit an entry.

Recycle IT - Shortlisted for Pakman Awards 2016

Recycle IT – Pakman Award Winners 2016

In late summer 2016 Recycle IT submitted our first application to the Pakman Awards and we were delighted to be shortlisted. Then on October 27th 2016 we went one step further and were announced as winners of the overall award in the category, Environmental Education and Awareness Initiatives.

The award ceremony was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Ballsbridge Dublin 4 on the evening of October 27th. It was a fantastic event which promoted and rewarded the work of organisations large and small across Ireland.

John McEntee and Una Lavelle – Recycle IT

As an organisation we were thrilled to receive our award from Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Mr Denis Naughten and CEO of Repak, Mr Seamus Clancy. (pictured above) We want to thank all those involved throughout the process for their efforts and support and especially our hard working collection and recycling teams.

About the Pakman Award

The Pakman Awards was launched in 2015 by Repak to replace the Repak Recycling Awards and allow more accessibility to the awards for all organisations who demonstrate their sustainability and environmental efforts. The inaugural Pakman marked a significant change in the direction for Repak whose awards were previously only open to its members and recovery operators. Now all organisations who can demonstrate their environmental waste management practices and efforts can enter.

About Recycle IT

Recycle IT is a not for profit social enterprise providing a collection and drop off service for all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). During 2015 Recycle IT offered drop off and collection services to 100,000 homes and businesses across Dublin and surrounding areas collecting a range of WEEE which includes thousands of computers, cables, monitors, microwaves and TV’s.

Recycle IT work with schools, residents associations, voluntary groups and charities across Dublin and the surrounding areas to support reuse and recycling initiatives including WEEE workshops, bring days, and community gardening using re-purposed waste.

Recycle IT services are provided in partnership with WEEE Ireland. Recycle IT are supported by South Dublin County Council and authorized by the National Waste Collection Permit Office and the local authorities across Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow.

Visit our website for further details.

Please click here to learn more about all the Pakman Award Winners 2016.