Before you recycle a computer or phone

Recycling electronics is the right thing to do with old hardware. Handing over a machine with your accounts still signed in is not. The order is: back up, sign out, wipe, then recycle.

Sign out everywhere first

Sign out of the operating system account, the browser, the mail client and any cloud storage. On a phone, sign out of the platform account before the factory reset, or the device may be locked to you and useless to the next owner.

Back up what you need, then verify the backup

Copy the files off, then open a few of them from the backup to be sure they are readable. A backup nobody has checked is a hope, not a backup.

Wipe it properly

• Phone or tablet: factory reset from the settings menu, then confirm the account is removed.
• Mac: erase the disk and reinstall the system, or use the built-in erase assistant on newer machines.
• Windows PC: reset the PC and choose the option to remove everything, or reinstall the system from installation media.
• Loose drive: physical destruction is the only certain answer for a drive that will not power on.

Then recycle it

Use a municipal drop-off or a manufacturer's take-back programme. Ask where the device goes; a legitimate recycler can tell you. Do not put electronics in the household rubbish, and do not leave them on the curb.