Did you know that in Australia, it’s illegal to throw away old laptops? That’s because they contain toxic materials like lead and mercury that contaminate the environment.

Throwing an old laptop in the bin is not a good idea, especially if it still works. Old laptops are full of working parts that can be repurposed for other uses. To help you decide what to do with old laptops in Australia, read on to see what we recommend.

Recycle

How to recycle your old laptop?

The best way to recycle your old laptop is to find a recycling centre near you. Many recycling centres will accept old laptops and will reprocess them properly.

The benefits of recycling computer

The benefits of recycling old computers are many:

  • Helps protect the environment by keeping harmful chemicals and metals out of landfills
  • Reduces the need for new resources to be mined, damaging ecosystems.
  • Helps conserve energy and reduce emissions from new computers.
  • The parts are often re-used to create new laptops, computers, and other devices.
  • A great way to reduce the amount of e-waste produced each year.

Recycling programs for tech gear

Many organisations accept old laptops for recycling in Australia. Some of these include Dell, Apple, and Samsung. These organisations have recycling programs to help in reducing the amount of e-waste, while offering a variety of benefits, including store credit or a discount on a new device.

This option is great if you were meaning to upgrade to the latest model. For example, Apple offers a trade-in program that gives you a gift card for your old device. The gift card’s value depends on the age and condition of your old device.

How to donate your old computer?

Donating your old computer is easy. Just find a charity that accepts computer donations and contact them. They will give you instructions on how to deliver your old computer.

What to do before you donate your computer? 

Before you donate your old computer, first make sure to remove all of your personal information – you don’t want to give someone access to your files. This involves erasing the hard drive, wiping all of the data, and uninstalling any programs that were not originally there. 

You should also de-authorize any registered programs, such as iTunes, MS Office, and others.

Finally, make sure to remove the battery. This is important since old laptops can contain harmful chemicals that can be released into the environment if the battery is not removed.

Repurpose

  • Guest PC

If your laptop is still semi-functional and you don’t want to get rid of it just yet, you can freshen it up a bit and offer it to your guests to use when they visit. This way you won’t need to sacrifice your primary device.

  1. DIY Chromebook

A laptop that has been struggling in Windows 10 might get by just fine in a lighter-weight ChromeOS. Switch the operating system and give your laptop a new life.

  1. Media Streaming Device

Stream content from any streaming service you can think of, even those not supported by popular streaming devices. You’ll be needing an HDMI cable to connect your laptop to the TV, and a wireless keyboard with a built-in trackpad is optional (it’ll make couch-surfing way easier).

  1. Use it as Minecraft Server

One great way to use your old laptop is to turn it into a Minecraft server. A Minecraft server can accommodate up to 10 players at a time and is a delightful way of keeping your friends and family entertained.

To turn your old laptop into a Minecraft server, you will need the following:

  1. Homebrew NAS

– old laptop

– Minecraft server software

– external hard drive (optional).

Homebrew NAS is another creative way to use old laptops and computers. A Homebrew NAS (Network-Attached Storage) is a computer that is used to store data and files. With the help of free software called TrueNAS Core, transform your old laptop into a data storage device.

  1. Retro gaming machine 

To repurpose your old laptop as a retro gaming machine, you will need to install an emulator and some games. There are many different emulators available, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Bottom Line 

When it comes to what to do with old laptops in Australia, there are many different recycling and collection services available, depending on where you live. We hope this article provides you with a few useful ideas.

1. Can I give my laptop to charity?

Of course, you can easily find local organisations that gladly accept old devices to either refurbish them to resell or responsibly recycle them.

2. Does Officeworks take old computers?

Yes. Their Bring It Back program encourages people to dispose of e-waste, including old laptops, used printer cartridges, mobile phones, batteries, and others, responsibly. Check with your local Officeworks store to find out what items they accept for e-recycling.

3. How to dispose of a broken laptop?

There are several ways to get rid of an unwanted laptop, recycling and donating being the most common. In this article, you will find some ideas about what to do with old laptops in Australia.