Laptops hold many gigabytes of information, which data protection regulations (GDPR, et al) stipulate must be safeguarded until the point of destruction. Compliance with the law, by choosing a professional laptop disposal business to help with data erasure, for example, leads to an easier life. Non-compliance, by hoarding old laptops in a cupboard or pressing ‘delete’ instead of using government-approved software to erase old files, can only lead to hassle. From data breaches, fines, and reputational damage with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office), your customers and your colleagues.

Like us, we’re pretty sure you will have environmental commitments baked into your company strategy. Commercial laptop recycling hits the sustainability nail squarely on the head for all your ESG stakeholders. Your business becomes part of the circular economy, it’s good for planet and people, and it’s the right thing to do.

Now that we’ve established that compliant laptop disposal and recycling is the right thing for your business to do. Both legally and ethically. Here’s how Restore Technology solves the issues of securing your data, and recycling.

From the point of collection by our security-vetted operatives, we take command of a chain of custody that is electronically audited. Your assets’ journey to our specialised depots is tracked via fleet management software, CCTV, and passworded, dedicated asset streams. Once in our system, we use government-approved erasure software to cleanse all data from your hard drives and backups. Plus we supply a certificate of destruction once your assets have been disposed of. All our processes are backed by hard-won accreditations and recognition and – mindful of our own reputation. We never use anything other than a trusted partner for carrying out the minute of recycling laptop components.

This is where commercial laptop disposal gets interesting because, when we talk about ‘recycling’, there are several ways for assets to be re-routed away from landfill.

First, if your laptops are old or exhausted, we will cleanse their hard drives of all data. We will then break them down into their constituent parts – glass, plastics, metals (including precious metals), and toxins. This will then be recycled appropriately by our specialist partners.

Second, if we can clean up and refurbish a laptop – installing a new operating system or keyboard, for example – our engineers will do so.

Third, a refurbished laptop can be re-deployed in your business, or you can donate to local community groups or charities for whom a working laptop is a portal to opportunity. And then there’s optimising your return on investment…

Asset value recovery, or re-marketing and earning what can occasionally be a substantial rebate through our re-sales team is an important part of your potential contribution to the circular economy. As well as your bottom line. Refurbishing for re-use or re-marketing is by far the greenest option, followed by recycling (or breaking down) units that are not eligible for sale. The point is that your laptops can be professionally treated so that they are still a resource, not ‘waste’.

Whichever route you choose, you will receive a sustainability report that details resources, energy saved, and the reduction in emissions, and is a great tool for keeping your stakeholders informed of your ESG work.

A triple win, we think you’ll agree.