There is a tremendous amount of work and stress involved in moving house and this is when people invariably discover old computers, mobile phones and printers lurking around in the loft, or the garage and the easy option for most is to just bin them. Yes very expedient but not environmentally responsible.
Gazelle is a website that takes the stress out of disposing of old electronic goods by paying for these items, taking them away and recycling or disposing of them safely at no cost. Now for those with an environmental conscience this is something definitely worth looking into.
But here’s the bad news. Gazelle only operates in North America and whilst they can still take items from the UK, the postage costs of sending them old technology items makes it uneconomic, as well as not exactly being carbon neutral.
Some mobile phone recycling companies in the UK go beyond just recycling mobiles, but there does not seem to be anyone offering such a comprehensive service as Gazelle. Given how busy people are, particularly when moving house, it looks like there is a gap in the market for one-stop recyclers for redundant technology items. With the ever-increasing pressure to do more to combat climate change and protect the planet there is a strong incentive for commercial or voluntary organisations to step in and plug the gap.