Finally Upgrading? What to do with Old Technology

Business owners share uncertainty about outdated technology all the time. The most common concerns we hear include, "We aren't sure how to dispose of our old machines," or, "We'd upgrade but we don't have room to store old technology and heard it wasn't safe to throw away." These are both valid and healthy concerns - they help protect your data in the long run. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the most important considerations when it comes to what to do with old technology to make the upgrade both easy and safe for your small business.

How to Dispose of Old Electronics

When it comes to getting rid of outdated electronics like mobile phones, laptops, tablets, desktop computers, and TVs, you should take into consideration both 1) digital security and 2) environmental impact. Once you have addressed the digital security component (and we'll discuss that in length in the next section), that leaves you with a few options for technology recycling: 

• You can take your devices - once the hard drives have been destroyed - to a recycler that specializes in recycling electronics
• You can donate your devices to a charity or non-profit that helps get them in the hands of those who need them most
• You can look to the manufacturer's return program; many manufacturers even offer cash or store credit for recycled devices

This article from Consumer Reports provides more details on all of the options above. 

Secure Electronics Recycling

If you've wondered what to do with old cell phones or what to do with old computers, you aren't alone. While cell phone recycling and computer recycling are viable solutions, data security is an important consideration.

Your electronics likely contain expansive information about your organization and its stakeholders. Secure electronics recycling is critical in order to ensure that private information isn't accessible by the next person who finds or receives your device. Just some of the types of data that can be compromised include: 

• your clients' identifying information including name, phone number, address, date of birth, social security number, bank account number, credit card number, and more
• your employees' identifying information including name, date of birth, social security number, phone number, address, and bank account information
• your organization's confidential data like ideas, strategies, financials, private communications, and more

Choosing a secure electronics recycler is important in ensuring confidential information is completely removed from a device before it's recycled. Simply deleting the files on a computer does not permanently remove them from the hard drive.

Contact Shred America

Shred America is a Veteran-owned shredding company specializing in hard drive destruction, data security services, and secure document shredding for your peace of mind. With locations throughout the United States - spanning from the East Coast to the West Coast - most Americans will find that there is a Shred America provider in their geographic region. Choosing Shred America provides peace of mind for business owners, their employees, and their clients, who can truth that their secure information has been destroyed safely and securely, eliminating the risk of identity theft. To learn more, visit us online today or find a location near you today.