Engage Locally

A curated list of places to repair your electronics and recycle your e-waste locally.

Prolong device lifecycles & engage in repair.

🌱 How can you extend the life of your devices?

Protect your electronic devices well during use and transport (e.g. through a protective case or by placing them on a sturdy base). Ensure the batteries are charged optimally, by using a suitable charger and avoiding overcharging as well as undercharging. Take steps to make sure your devices are well-maintained by inspecting, cleaning, repairing and if needed updating them regularly. Follow the instructions on safe usage for your device and use a grounded outlet where possible.

🌱 How can you repair damaged or broken devices?

If the warranty or guarantee for your device is still active and your device is damaged or broken, contact the seller or producer of your device about a repair. If there is no longer a warranty or guarantee on your device, consider having it repaired at a repair shop or repairing it yourself or at a local repair café.

🌱 What should you do with devices you no longer need?

Consider selling or donating devices you no longer need, so that they can continue to be used rather than collecting dust.

Find electronics repair communities globally.

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Engage in recycling & raw material circularity.

🌱 When should you dispose of your electronics?

Do not dispose of electrical and electronic equipment until it is broken beyond (reasonable) repair. If you do not want to repair a broken device that could still be repaired, consider selling or donating it rather than disposing of it.

🌱 How should you dispose of your e-waste?

When disposing of e-waste, return devices to the retailer or bring them to a trusted and certified collection site. Do not hold onto broken devices for unnecessarily long, as giving your e-waste free for recycling can reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the circular economy.

🌱 How can e-waste be a source for valuable materials?

Landfills may now have higher concentrations of certain raw materials than the mines in conventional mining. By recovering value and reinserting materials into the supply chain, the so-called "urban mining" of e-waste can play a key role in achieving a circular economy and meeting the increased demand for resources for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.

🌱 What opportunities and benefits does the "urban mine" create?

Urban mining can have economic, environmental, and humanitarian benefits. In some cases, urban mining can be equally or more cost-efficient than traditional mining. By increasing urban mining, countries “can limit their dependence on foreign minerals, reduce carbon output in industrial production [and transport of raw materials], fortify recycling supply chains, and provide economic opportunities in the e-waste management sector”. On the whole, urban mining “reduces the strain on natural resource reserves”, as well as the need for deep-sea and conflict minerals. It can also alleviate the demand for water supplies in water-scarce areas, where virgin mining often occurs.