Brighton & Hove City Council is encouraging residents to recycle their old and unused computers, laptops and mobile phones in a bid to reduce electronic waste.

From Friday 28 September to Monday 1 October residents are being asked to take their old tech to The Level in Brighton where it will be given a new lease of life or disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

The event, run by Tech-Takeback, is the third to be held in the city this year, with 4.2 tonnes of tech, ranging from USB sticks to hard drives, donated to date.

Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing rubbish streams in the world, with 44.7 million metric tonnes of e-waste generated in 2016, according to the Global E-waste Monitor 2017.  As a result, many people are looking for ways to extend the life of their unwanted tech or find ways to recycle it responsibly.

Organisers are keen to reassure donors that their data will be safely and securely erased from any equipment by computer data experts.

Dr David Greenfield, co-founder of Tech-Takeback and managing director of Soenecs, said:

Many people think if they simply delete everything on their computer, or reset their phone to ‘factory settings’, then the data is completely gone. However, only by getting data professionally and expertly wiped can people be reassured that their personal data has been safely and entirely erased.

Donated tech will then be passed on to free online reuse network Freegle, given to charities to distribute, sold to people less able to afford new tech or, if the equipment is beyond repair, will be dismantled for material recycling.

So far a number of local charities have benefited from the scheme, including the Sussex Homeless Support Charity, the Green Centre, The National Tech4Good Awards, The Bevy Community Pub, Artists at Bloomtown Festival, Brighton Pride HQ and Screwed Sculptures.

More information and a map of how to get to The Level can be found on the Tech-Takeback website.

Image by CDR Global licensed under Creative Commons