It’s often misunderstood how important recycling is and many domestic users only take recycling of typical household packaging as items which can be recycled. There is a huge chunk of other things which need to be recycled. One of the main topics which have been underestimated in the recent past has been the recycling of gadgets, including mobile phones. According to a report in telegraph the government has now accepted it will not meet 2020 targets because of the current bewildering system by which only one in 5 councils is offering compete for recycling solutions.

A massive chunk of recyclable materials is devices which hold people’s personal data. These include mobile phones, tablets, gaming consoles, accessories, peripherals, and computers. One of the main reasons explained by Rapid Phone Buyer, which is a mobile phone recycling company based in the UK is the fear of losing their data into wrong hands. According to a research conducted by Rapid Phone Buyer, many people do not believe that their data can ever be deleted securely and somehow their details will leak, and these people end up in keeping their devices with them forever rather than recycling them and playing their part in keeping the environment clean.

Manufacturers of such devices such as Apple, Samsung and Sony have developed straight of the art systems so that people can reset their equipment back to the factory settings making sure nothing can be retrieved. Although many recycling companies still offer to clean the devices and delete data using latest industry technologies the fact is that most of these technologies provide little or no extra benefit as compared to the default options offered by the manufacturers.

Under the EU Waste Directive set in 2008, the UK was supposed to be recycling half of all collected household waste by next year, and 65 per cent by 2035. However, the UK seems to be far behind meeting its targets. There is an urgent need to educate the masses about the importance of recycling especially items which contain harmful materials. One of the main reasons why mobile phone and other such devices need to be recycled appropriately is the fact that they provide incredibly toxic substances which if not recycled appropriately can cause harm to humans especially the chemicals and metal compositions in lithium batteries. It also found that 57 per cent of those survey still throws away electronics such as mobile phones after keeping them in their drawer for several years and then just throwing it into the bin — this risks dangerous chemicals leaking into the ground and contaminating our soils and waterways.

There is an urgent need for governments across the globe including those in third world countries to step up and make efforts in educating their masses in keeping their environment clean and making sure that the make recycling part of their everyday life rather than something of their choosing.