Recycling old electronics safely and responsibly
This piece for Crazish collects the advice that holds up in practice.
Old phones, laptops and chargers contain valuable metals as well as substances that should not end up in household waste. Most areas offer collection points at recycling centres or electronics shops, and many manufacturers run take-back schemes. A device that still works may be more useful donated to a school, charity or community group than broken down for parts.
Before handing anything over, protect your data. Back up what you need, sign out of accounts, remove the device from any find-my-device service and perform a full factory reset. Take out memory cards and SIM cards. For an old computer whose hard drive cannot be wiped, removing the drive and keeping it or having it destroyed is the safest choice.