Ensuring Data Privacy in Electronics Recycling

There are many reasons to participate in electronics recycling in Mississauga: getting rid of electronic waste from your home or office, disposing of your electronics in a sustainable and environmentally-responsible manner and potentially being offered a rebate for your electronics.

Recycling facilities take care of every step of the process—at Alnor Industries, we can even arrange a pick-up for electronics recycling in Mississauga, depending on how much electronic waste you’re looking to dispose of. It may seem like there really isn’t any excuse not to recycle your used electronics; however, one concern that would-be recyclers have is that their data privacy could be breached in the recycling process.

The Concerned Parties

The concern for maintaining data privacy is especially pertinent to businesses and organizations that want to dispose of old computers or other electronics that contain confidential information, such as information about clients. Those who wish to dispose of their old cell phones may also be wary of recycling because deleted data on a cell phone can be retrieved using the right software or hardware. In either case, recycling is a better option than throwing your electronics in the trash, as an authorized recycler take measures to destroy hard drives or other data-containing electronic components.   

How We Safeguard Your Data Privacy

As a facility that is authorized to perform electronics recycling in Mississauga, we must abide by privacy legislation in Ontario and Canada regarding the disposal of private information stored on IT assets. We simply cannot function as a recycling business without following the protocols for ensuring an individual’s data privacy. Check out our previous blog to learn about the four main steps in our computer recycling process, including wiping data.

Additional Precautions You Can Take

If you wish to handle the data wiping of your hard drives before having them recycled, you can do so by either 1) electronically wiping the data on the hard drive, or 2) removing your hard drive from your computer and having it shredded through a public asset disposal service. Keep in mind that we also shred hard drives in our recycling processes, making us a more cost-effective and efficient option.

If you are deciding what to do with your old electronics, be aware that they are not safer in the trash or in the hands of a second-hand buyer. Anyone can purchase a used cell phone with the intent of extracting personal information, and electronic waste contains toxic substances that should not be left to accumulate in a landfill. It’s in your best interest, with respect to both your personal safety and that of the environment, to recycle your electronics.

At Alnor Industries, we aim to make electronics recycling in Mississauga as easy as possible. You can rest assured that any used electronics you leave with us will be recycled according to Ontario Electronic Stewardship standards, and the raw materials created from your electronics will be used to manufacture new electronic products. Contact us today to get rid of your old electronics the sustainable way!