Title: How to recycle electronics in Wisconsin | Wisconsin DNR
Headings: HOW TO RECYCLE ELECTRONICS IN WISCONSIN
HOW TO RECYCLE ELECTRONICS IN WISCONSIN
Preparing electronics for reuse or recycling
Choosing the right recycler for you

Content: Tips for protecting and erasing data from electronics
Before recycling, giving away, trading in or selling electronics, find out how a recycler or refurbisher will protect your data security. Take steps to disconnect devices from online services and websites and erase personal, financial or other sensitive data. Just deleting files will not clear them off of your devices. General industry-recommended guidelines and suggestions include the following: Check with device manufacturers, operating system providers and electronics retailers for specific instructions or software. For example, IOS, Android and Windows operating systems for mobile devices may have features like factory resets built in that can help with data wiping and protection. Back up files you want to keep before beginning to wipe data. Disconnect from web- or “cloud”-based services, websites, etc., especially those tied to a credit card or bank account, or that automatically sync or upload files. For some types of data storage, physical destruction (e.g., driving a nail through a hard drive) may work, but be aware that this may not work for newer data storage (e.g., “solid state” hard drives), because data can be recovered even from very small pieces of the storage device.