Can Hard Drives Be Recycled? 🖥️ The More You Know!

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Can Hard Drives Be Recycled? 🖥️: In this blog, we discover the possibility of recycling hard drives. In addition, we take a look at some of the programs that take in hard drives and other computer parts. Continue reading this blog to learn more.

Every year, we see tonnes and tonnes of discarded electronic devices such as mobile phones, television and computers in Australian landfill. As unfortunate as that sounds, it is the reality. In fact, did you know that electronic waste is the fastest-growing product type of the municipal waste stream?

The truth is, not a lot of people know what to do with electronic waste (or what we always dub as e-waste) at the end of their useful life. As a result, e-waste of all types always make their way to landfill. But, did you know that we have plenty of options here in Australia for it?

Let us focus on hard drive: a computer part. Hard drives, in particular, do have somewhere to go to should you decide to upgrade to a new one. Below, we will give you an idea of where you can send your hard drives should you decide not to use them anymore and have no space in your home for it. But more importantly, we will talk about whether or not we can recycle hard drives. Can hard drives be recycled? Let us learn the answer by reading more.

Providing waste and recycling solutions for small and medium Aussie businesses

Before we take you further into the discussion and determine whether or not you can recycle hard drives, along with discovering other options to dispose of them the environmentally responsible way, we want to share Waster – waste and recycling provider – with you.

Who is Waster? Why do plenty consider it as one of the best waste and recycling companies in Australia?


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Simply put, Waster provides you with innovative solutions for your and your business’s waste management and recycling needs. In addition to that, we provide flexible, 30-day contracts instead of the typical lock-in contracts, which proves a better choice nowadays.

Click on the blue button below to learn more.


READ: Where To Dispose Of Fertiliser For Free – The Best Options 🌱 


We take a look and see if hard drives can indeed be recycled

In the age of technology, almost anything is possible now. Even hard drive recycling is!

Fortunately, we have a number of programs and companies here in Australia that accept e-waste – including hard drives – for recycling. So, yes, to answer the question: you can indeed recycle hard drives. 

Make sure to recycle hard drives as we have plenty of options here in Australia. Also, and more importantly, we highly encourage you to go the recycling route and not place them in your household general waste bin.

Take note that you should also not place your hard drives in your commingled household recycling bin. In Australia, there are specialised facilities wherein hard drives, along with other types of e-waste, can be recycled. What do you need to do to recycle them? Easy! You just have to send your hard drives to designated drop off points available all throughout Australia so that you can recycle them without any issues.

Why you should recycle hard drives (and other e-waste)

Now that we have established that you can recycle hard drives, we now want to tell you the reasons why you should do so. There are quite a number of them, but we will emphasise the more important ones.

To make the long story short, recycling hard drives, as well as other types of e-waste, can help protect the environment and recover non-renewable resources such as gold and copper.

In addition, by recycling hard drives, you ensure that you do keep harmful chemicals like mercury and lead from leaking out in landfill, therefore contaminating the ground and going into waterways, creating leachate.

Recycle through the the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme

One of the best options we have to recycle hard drives here in Australia is through the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (abbreviated to NCTRS).

Through a number of organisations, this scheme accepts all kinds of televisions, computers, computer accessories and perhiperals. Here, we enumerate the four organisations:

  • Ecycle Solutions
  • TechCollect
  • Sustainable Product Stewards Pty Ltd
  • The Activ Group Solutions Pty Ltd (Ecoactiv)

They all have service collections all over Australia where you can drop off and recycle your recyclables printers for free. Take note: you do not have to pay anything to recycle your printer!

TechCollect, for example, collects the following e-waste:

  • Personal and laptop computers and all cables
  • Tablets, notebooks and palmtops
  • Computer monitors and parts (e.g. internal hard drives and CD drives)
  • Computer peripherals and accessories (e.g. mice, keyboards, web cameras, USBs)
  • Printers, faxes, scanners and multi-functional devices
  • All televisions*

Bring your hard drives to Officeworks

Another good option you can do is to send your hard drives along with other types of e-waste through Officework’s Bring it Back program. Through their program, you can recycle the following types of e-waste:

  • Computers and laptops
  • Monitors
  • Keyboards
  • Printers
  • Mice
  • Hard drives
  • Cables and chargers
  • DVDs and CDs
  • Computer power supplies
  • Printed circuit boards
  • Motherboards

Do take note that you should delete any personal data or documents from your devices before you bring them in for recycling if you intend to recycle e-waste that can store data, according to Officeworks.

So, there you have it! Hard drives can indeed be recycled in Australia through a number of programs and companies accepting e-waste.

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Contact Waster right now for your waste and recycling needs now!

Does your Australian-based business need waste and recycling services? If so, then you have come to the right web page!

Please call 1300 WASTER (1300 927 837).  You can also email us at [email protected] if you have any further questions. Find the best deals in terms of waste and recycling pricing and services!

commingled recycling cta

commingled recycling cta