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What should I do with old electronics?
(lemm.ee)
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this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2023
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Obviously the easiest thing to do is find use for some of these stuff. For example:
Old phones can be repurposed into MP3 players or podcast players
Tablets can be used as eBook readers, video players, or smart home terminals.
If non of those things can be used, then I would try and sell them. You can always find someone who is looking for spare parts online.
If they are not sold, I would open them up and extract whatever can be used. Then sort them into recyclable and unrecyclable categories and dispose of them responsibly. Don't forget the batteries, dispose of them correctly please.
Adding on to this:
Recyclable components can be recycled at electronics recycling facilities (those do exist). They'll typically handle everything about a device, except the battery if it's removable. So you don't need to worry about removing the housing or chassis, or anything like that.
Also, FYI, for large devices like TVs and CRTs, they may ask for a donation to dispose of it.
For the batteries (as well as light bulbs, even LED ones, because a lot of tech recycling places don't want to make distinctions between LED bulbs and fluorescent ones due to the mercury concerns), you'll want to try and find a hazardous materials drop location. Often they're sponsored by a government entity, like a health department or sheriff. You can also usually take old chemicals, paint, and expired medication.
Adding to your list some devices have open source projects that breath new life into them. For example an old kinect for an Xbox 360 can be used for motion tracking on a PC and, if I recall correctly, a webcam.
Another example is the LeapFrog Leapster GS running RetroArch.
A lot of it can be just fun novelty projects to do throughout a weekend