Old phones and laptops don't belong in landfill. Find out why recycling matters, where to drop off your device in the UK, and how we help reduce e-waste.
UK WEEE Regulations — responsible disposal is the law
Under UK law, electrical devices must not go to general household waste. Recycling is free, easy, and available near you.
E-Waste in Numbers
The scale of the problem
53M
tonnes of e-waste generated globally every year
155K
tonnes of e-waste produced in the UK annually
80%
of materials in old devices can be recovered
Why It Matters
Four reasons to recycle your old tech
Electronic devices contain valuable metals — gold, copper, lithium — that can be recovered and reused. They also contain toxic substances like lead and mercury that are dangerous in landfill.
Reduces Mining Demand
Recovering metals from old devices reduces the need for new mining, which is energy-intensive and damages ecosystems.
Prevents Toxic Pollution
Batteries and screens contain toxic chemicals. In landfill, these leach into soil and groundwater.
Saves Energy
Recycling aluminium uses 95% less energy than producing it from raw materials.
UK Legal Requirement
Under UK WEEE regulations, electrical devices must not go to general household waste.
Find a Drop-off Point
Recycle near you — it's free
The easiest way to find your nearest recycling centre is Recycle Now — the UK's official recycling campaign. Enter your postcode to find drop-off points for phones, laptops, and tablets.
Search by Postcode — Recycle Now UK
Recycle Now is the UK government-backed recycling service. Their free postcode search finds your nearest drop-off for electrical items and old tech.
Opens recyclenow.com — free, no registration required
Your Local Council Recycling Centre Free
Most UK councils have a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) that accepts electrical items. Find yours at gov.uk or your council's website.
Currys / PC World In-Store Drop-off Free
Currys accepts any small electrical item for recycling at all their UK stores — no purchase necessary.
Donate to Charity Free
Working devices can be donated to charities like Computer Aid or Emmaus, who refurbish them and give them to people in need.
Before You Recycle
Prepare your device in 5 steps
Take a few minutes to complete these steps before dropping off your old device.
Back up your data
Save your photos, contacts, and documents. Use Google Photos, iCloud, or an external drive before you do anything else.
Factory reset the device
On Android: Settings → General Management → Reset. On iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content.
Remove your SIM card and memory cards
Take out any SIM or microSD cards from the device before handing it over.
Sign out of accounts
Sign out of Google, Apple ID, and Samsung accounts. This prevents the next owner being locked to your account (known as activation lock).
Not sure how to factory reset your device?
Ask Your IT Man — we'll walk you through it step by step, for free.
Our Commitment
Give your old tech a second life
Instead of recycling, could your old device be refurbished and used by someone else? We buy working devices and give them a second life — reducing e-waste and saving customers money.
