In an age where we go through electronics like candy, e-waste is being generated at an alarming speed. Moreover, without proper disposal, harmful chemicals found in many electronics could seep into both the atmosphere and the earth beneath us, damaging our health and contaminating our food or even water supply. Therefore, in a bid to raise awareness about e-waste and e-recycling in Singapore, here are some things you should know so you too can play your part in minimising improper e-waste disposal.

Where is E-waste Recycled in Singapore?

Unlike conventional recycling bins that can be located at almost every void deck or public spaces, e-recycling bins are usually situated in more centralised areas, but are still common enough so that e-waste recycling in Singapore isn’t rendered too inconvenient. For instance, Metalo’s e-recycling bins are conveniently located across 24 Shell stations, making it even easier for car owners to drive down with large quantities of e-waste to discard whilst filling up on petrol. Metalo can also place e-recycling bins at private premises like offices and building lobbies on demand — a great option for companies ramping up their e-recycling efforts. Additionally, proper documentation will also be provided for corporate e-recycling in Singapore.

Other e-recycling bins can also be found in shopping malls, near supermarkets and other oft-frequented stores. E-recycling is definitely not as tedious as one might make it out to be.

Learn more: 3 Benefits of Recycling E-waste

Certifications for E-waste Recycling

If you’re managing an organisation and would like to engage in e-recycling companies in Singapore to help discard your e-waste, you’ll probably want to first ensure that the company you’re engaging in possesses the right credentials. As e-waste recycling in Singapore often entails handling sensitive data, e-recycling companies are required to be certified in correctly handling and disposing of sensitive information, proper e-waste management and recycling procedures, and so on. After all, you do not want highly sensitive data to be improperly handled and illegally obtained by data thieves later on.

Metalo, for instance, is certified in several areas, namely — ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environment Management), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management), ISO 27001 (Information Security Management), and bizSAFE STAR. While the jargon might seem complicated, the bottom line is that we’re more than adequately equipped to handle all kinds of e-recycling in Singapore.

Erasing Your Data

Before you sell, return, recycle, or donate your electronic devices, you should take the necessary steps to ensure that all the information is deleted correctly; the last thing you’d want is for data to be stolen after doing your part for e-recycling in Singapore. The good news is that the wiping process for most devices is relatively straightforward and easy to understand; so is the reason to take these extra steps — it prevents sensitive information like passwords, email addresses, and bank account details from being recovered by someone else. The steps you need to perform to erase data varies depending on what device you’re using — a quick guide can be found here.

That being said, a determined data thief can still utilise various softwares to retrieve data that has already been erased. This is where e-recycling companies like Metalo can come in handy, offering services like degaussing that permanently erases data and renders discarded electronic devices unusable. Corporate entities will also receive certificates of destruction, which acts as a guarantee that the e-waste sent to the receiving e-recycling company has been thoroughly destroyed.

Start your e-recycling journey in Singapore today with Metalo! For more information about our services, please visit our website.