Decluttering Your House of Tech and Gadgets

Every year we see a couple dozen additions to our collection of tech and gadgets, while the old ones gather dust and are left alone in boxes, bins and storage rooms.

The solution? Do a spring cleaning especially for electronics, aka a de-cluttering process. It keeps your home neat, tidy and you get to earn a few quid along the way.

The Gathering Process

Do you have about an hour to tidy up your home of old things you won’t use?

Collect you and your family member’s electronics in boxes, the shed and the garage. Gather them up and split them to the ones you still want and the ones that you’d want to dispose later on. To avoid spending extra time sorting out tech and their respective cables, adapters and accessories, pair them up as soon as you come across them.

Phones, Laptops and PC Accessories

Desktop computers can still be used if the components work properly. Plug it in and hook it up to a monitor. Does it still work? Then you can choose to donate or sell later on. Do the same for laptops and old cell phones.

DVDs, Movie CDs and Installers

Here’s a tip on how you can sift through all your CDs and DVDs. Put the following in the disposal bin- old installers and driver disks that can be downloaded on the hardware manufacturer’s site. Keep one that contain personal data, e.g., pictures, videos and collector’s edition DVDs.

Chargers and Cables

Dispose of cables that don’t have their corresponding items. For the ones that have it, label the ones you’re using the most with “iPhone charger” or “MacBook adapter” so you’ll know them at a glance. Practice de-cluttering wires and cables every six months to stay on top of things.

Everything Else

You may still have a CRT TV, an old monitor, printers, faxes or remotes, old radios and mp3 players. Take out the batteries and dispose of them responsibly and choose if you’d want to donate or send them to the recycling shop.

The Disposal Process

By now you’ll have roughly two piles – one for the tech you want to keep and the other for disposal.

Sustainable de-cluttering is all about being aware of responsible disposal of your electronics. For instance, you can have them recycled so they won’t end up in a landfill or contribute to polluting the environment.

You can also do these things and give your items a new lease in life.

Give As A Gift To The Community Or Your Loved Ones

Your old stuff might seem redundant, but other people will see them as a shiny new object, especially the young ones. If you have a nephew or a niece who you’d think will love that handheld gaming device, smartphone or laptop, keep it until the next time you meet. Don’t forget to include the charging cable, adapter and any accessory that comes with it.

You can also donate your old tech for a cause on local communities such as schools, libraries, animal shelters and hospitals. Your device may not be cutting-edge but as long as it still works the organization can happily accept it.

Sell It Online And Get Some Cash

Dispose of your old stuff and make money in the process. Take a quality photo of your mobile, tablet or console and sell it on marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Facebook. Make sure to include a helpful description of its condition, specification and other details so interested parties can make an informed decision. Meet up when you get a good offer and exchange your goods for cash.

If you’re averse to waiting, there’s always reputable recycling sites like Plunc that can give you price offers for your newer gadgets. Ask for a quote, send the item in and get cash the moment the site receives it.

Send To The Manufacturer for Recycling

You can send your old branded tech to its corresponding brand or manufacturer via buyback or recycling programmes. Chances are, big name companies, including Apple, Samsung, HP, Lenovo and HP will have a collection center nearby and give you store credits or cash for your trouble.

Save the environment by de-cluttering and disposing of your old tech responsibly. Make some space for newer gadgets and you’ll have a cleaner home at the end of the day.