Do you wish to recycle your old mobile phone safely? Then smashing it to bits is not the solution. You only need to be sure about selecting the right recycling centre. If you choose a trustworthy centre, you leave all your worries behind about thieves stealing important data. Instead, you only need to remove the SIM card from your old phone or iPad or remove the laptop’s hard drive. Any saved files or important data must be wiped out completely from your computer or mobile phone before it is ready to recycle. If you wish to get more value out of your electronics getting recycled, then they should be in a working condition. However from the point of view of data safety, a non-working device is a safer option for recycling.

All working electronics that are meant for resale after being recycled need to undergo a process of extensive refurbishment. This process involves removing any storage components from the electronic devices including mobile phones and sets the phone back to its original factory settings. All passwords and stored data also get erased during the process. You can also delete everything and make it safe by restoring the default factory settings before turning in for recycling. These days, SIM cards contain a lot of data and hence can easily be removed from the new generation mobile phones, unlike the older phones which are SIM-free and require lot of care in order to remove all important data.