What happens to your old laptop after recycling?
From collection to data wiping, grading and resale or recycling: what really happens to your old laptop when you hand it to an IT recycler.
Impactech
11/6/20261 min read
Handing over a box of old laptops can feel like the end of the story. For a good IT recycler it is the start of a careful process. Here is what happens to your laptop after it leaves your office.
Collection and logging
Each laptop is recorded when it is collected, usually by make, model and serial number. That record follows the device through every later step, so nothing goes missing.
Data wiping or destruction
Before anything else, the storage is dealt with. Drives are wiped with software that meets a recognised standard such as NIST 800-88. If a drive is faulty or cannot be wiped, it is physically shredded. You should get a certificate for each device.
Testing and grading
Laptops that still work are fully tested, including the screen, keyboard, battery, ports, Wi-Fi and camera. They are then given a cosmetic grade, usually A, B or C, based on how they look.
Refurbishment and resale
Working laptops are cleaned, repaired where needed and resold. That gives them a second life and means fewer new devices need to be made.
Recycling what cannot be reused
Laptops that are beyond repair are broken down and recycled under WEEE rules, so metals, plastics and batteries are recovered rather than sent to landfill.
How Impactech handles it
We collect free from businesses, schools and charities across the UK and follow every step above at our Bedford site. You receive a data wiping certificate for each device and an ESG report for the collection. Call 07349 960040 or email info@impactechno.com to book.
Contacts
Email: info@impactechno.com
Phone: 07349 960040
Provident House, 44 Harpur Street, Bedford MK40 2QT
Services
Laptop recycling
Data destruction
School IT disposal
WEEE recycling
Guides
Disposing of old company laptops
Data wiping certificates explained
Legal
Impactech Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17165189
Upper tier waste carrier, broker and dealer, registration CBDU659902