We all have old devices around in our homes and businesses. When it’s time to recycle your old devices, the first question you might ask is whether or not you should take them apart first. After all, there are valuable components inside that could be recycled or sold separately.
But is it worth the time and effort? This blog post will explore the pros and cons of taking apart your devices before recycling them.
What to Consider Before Taking Devices Apart
Before taking any devices apart, there are a few things you need to consider.
How Many Devices Do You Have To Dismantle?
Many larger businesses have hundreds of devices to recycle, so dismantling them all by hand would be a huge undertaking. On the other hand, if you’re only recycling a few devices, it might be more worth the time and effort to take them apart.
What Are The Component Values?
Some components, like gold or platinum, have high scrap values. Like lead or mercury, others can be harmful if not disposed of properly.
Also, if you are dismantling to sell some of the components like the RAM, CPU, or Motherboard, make sure the value is high enough to justify the time. The price of these components changes as more new ones are introduced onto the market.
Do You Have The Time To Spare?
Even if the component values are high, you still need to factor in how much time it will take to dismantle the devices. It might not be worth it if you don’t have the time to spare, even if you get more money by taking the devices apart.
The Pros of Taking Apart Your Devices
There are several pros to taking apart your devices before recycling them:
Everything is Recycled or Reused
By taking the devices apart, you can recycle all valuable components inside. Some recyclers won’t accept certain items because of a component inside they don’t want to deal with. This ensures the entire device gets recycled or reused.
Higher Value
If you sell the recycled components separately, you can often get more money than recycling them as a whole unit. This saves the recycler time and resources because you have done some of the work for them.
The Cons of Taking Apart Your Devices
There are also several cons to taking apart your devices before recycling them:
Damaging the Parts
If you’re not careful, you can damage the components when taking them out of the devices. This can decrease their value or make them unusable. This is most important if you are considering reselling any of the parts. CPUs can’t just be ripped off the motherboard and expected to work.
Time
Taking apart devices can be a time-consuming process, especially if you have a lot of them. Therefore, you need to factor in how much time you’re willing to spend on this project.
Value of the Components
The value of the recycled components might not be as high as you think. For example, the price of gold fluctuates, and it might not be worth your time to recycle gold-plated items.
What’s the Best Solution? An ITAD Company
There is no easy answer when it comes to whether or not you should take your devices apart before recycling them. You need to weigh the pros and cons for yourself and decide what’s best for you. For example, if you have a large number of devices, it might not be worth your time to take them all apart.
Asset Recovery and Buyback is our program that can safely dispose of your devices while getting you the most money. We also have a Hardware Trade-In Program as another option to get money for your devices. This is where Avail Recovery can help.
Let us know how we can help! Call Avail Recovery at 855-896-2576 or email us at [email protected].
