Ask Jerry: Where can I recycle my old phone or tablet?

Welcome to Ask Jerry, where we talk about any and all the questions you might have about the smart things in your life. I'm Jerry, and I have spent the better part of my life working with tech. I have a background in engineering and R&D and have been covering Android and Google for the past 15 years.

I'm also really good at researching data about everything — that's a big part of our job here at Android Central — and I love to help people (another big part of our job!). If you have questions about your tech, I'd love to talk about them. 

Email me at askjerryac@gmail.com, and I'll try to get things sorted out. You can remain anonymous if you like, and we promise we're not sharing anything we don't cover here.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Where can i recycle my e-waste?

Romit asks:

Hi Jerry,

I have a question related to recycling old phones where I live. This place does not have a e-waste recycling system as far as I know. Could you maybe suggest how I can get rid of my old phones?

Thanks

Hi Romit! I love this question because I think the most important thing we should talk about when dealing with tech products is properly reusing whatever materials can be recycled. These gadgets we love are filled with easily recycled materials, and if they end up buried in a landfill, that can't happen. Recycling not only helps keep costs in check, but it also helps leave the world in as good shape as possible for our kids and their kids.

The quick answer for anyone who doesn't feel like reading further is that any legitimate business that sells phones should know where to drop old ones off for recycling or be willing to take them from you for proper recycling. If all else fails, that's usually a great option.

This really showcases the one problem with the internet when it comes to gathering information — what applies to me may not be the case where you are. Many of the websites Google will index for a search about e-waste recycling are written by people who have easy access to a dedicated recycling program, either municipal or private. 

That's not always the case and I know it's not because I don't have access to either option myself. I live in a rural area of the U.S. and I have no government-issued recycle boxes or centers for e-waste and private recycle-for-cash companies like ecoATM don't have any boxes of kiosks anywhere near me. There is a recycling center, but it only takes plastic bottles and aluminum cans because it's for typical household waste.

I can (and do) recycle my old electronics, though. Here in the U.S., we call them "big box stores," and businesses like Best Buy, Lowe's, and Home Depot will accept e-waste and actually recycle it rather than just throw it in the dumpster.

You might have similar stores in your area, and they may also partner with a recycling company that handles e-waste. It's worth asking if you don't notice a kiosk or bin near the front of the store.

Finally, and this should apply regardless of where you live, most stores that sell phones know how to recycle an old one even if they don't offer the service themselves. Here in the United States, any AT&T or Verizon store will take your old phones or tablets and make sure they are properly recycled. In Canada, Rogers will do the same.

In your area, you probably don't have an AT&T or Rogers phone store, but there's a good chance you have a large shop that deals with consumer electronics. They should be able to help you do the right thing and recycle your old gear.

Finally, one last thing to mention is never to send an old phone or tablet off for recycling without erasing all of your data from it. It's very difficult to extract data or sign in to an account on Android or iOS without knowing the correct password for the device, but it is possible. You probably aren't a celebrity or politician with people thirsting to read your private data, but you still have bank passwords and other financial information, as well as photos and other data that's pretty personal tied to your accounts. Be safe, and factory reset your device before it leaves your house.