Recycle old phone securely?
Discussion
I have an old Samsung S7 which is totally knackered. Probably needs a new motherboard, and it's really not worth the effort. Basically the thing won't boot, and if it does, crashes soon after.
However, this does mean that I can't delete the data or remove accounts or even perform a factory reset. There are bank accounts and investment apps linked to the phone, as well as some photos I'd rather not anyone else see.
So... is there a secure way to recycle it? All the places like Music Magpie need the accounts deleting, and for what they'll pay (£5) it's not worthwhile, but I am concerned that taking it to the tip and recycling it there might mean it getting into the hands of a very clever Indian boy who then has access to the data on the phone. Or finally, do I just hit it with a hammer and consign it to general rubbish?
However, this does mean that I can't delete the data or remove accounts or even perform a factory reset. There are bank accounts and investment apps linked to the phone, as well as some photos I'd rather not anyone else see.
So... is there a secure way to recycle it? All the places like Music Magpie need the accounts deleting, and for what they'll pay (£5) it's not worthwhile, but I am concerned that taking it to the tip and recycling it there might mean it getting into the hands of a very clever Indian boy who then has access to the data on the phone. Or finally, do I just hit it with a hammer and consign it to general rubbish?
Condi said:
Don't any of you think about the environment?
It would be much better being recycled and giving a small Indian boy a job for a while than just ending up in landfill, hence the desire to recycle and not throw away.
Think of the small Indian boy who's spending week after week exposed to poisonous chemicals from recycling old phones with zero PPE. Get a hammer It would be much better being recycled and giving a small Indian boy a job for a while than just ending up in landfill, hence the desire to recycle and not throw away.
If you pop it open you can run a soldering iron along the pins of a few chips. That'll ensure it is not reused and only recycled for metals.
If you do take the battery out them I recommend taking it to your shed and hammering a screwdriver through it. Mini explosion and fire, much fun. Squishing in a vice is also fun. Sledgehammer on it not so much. I've tried all ways.
If you do take the battery out them I recommend taking it to your shed and hammering a screwdriver through it. Mini explosion and fire, much fun. Squishing in a vice is also fun. Sledgehammer on it not so much. I've tried all ways.
oilslick said:
Given it contains a lithium ion battery, I think I'd probably remove that before I took a hammer to it.
My youngest son and I are bitterly disappointed by li ion batteries in this respect. We’ve carefully disobeyed every instruction when “recycling” old ones, and nothing has ever happened. We’ve shot them, burned them, whacked them with hammers, stuck pins on them, hammered nails through them, drowned them .... and nothing. Some of them have got a bit warm.How are you meant to get them to explode?
rxe said:
oilslick said:
Given it contains a lithium ion battery, I think I'd probably remove that before I took a hammer to it.
My youngest son and I are bitterly disappointed by li ion batteries in this respect. We’ve carefully disobeyed every instruction when “recycling” old ones, and nothing has ever happened. We’ve shot them, burned them, whacked them with hammers, stuck pins on them, hammered nails through them, drowned them .... and nothing. Some of them have got a bit warm.How are you meant to get them to explode?
Shooting does not sustain pressure on it enough to mix the materials together, a direct hammer is too distributed a force so it generally absorbs.
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