“Out with the old, in with the new” is the catchphrase of the tech industry. Getting rid of the old stuff is not always as straight forward, as our own Ian can testify. So, we ask, how do you get rid of your old tech in Malta?
Why bother?
Most gadgets tend to contain materials that if not disposed of correctly, could make their way into our precious soil and water. Simply throwing your old phone, gaming console or tablet into the “one-size-fits-all” black bag is doing no one any favours.
Though you might have forgotten about it by the end of the day, the chemicals within, such as lithium and barium, will eventually make their way into your tap water. A quick Google search will show you that, in summary, it’s not very good for your health.
Here’s what we need to do
There are 6 civic amenity sites which you can find across Malta and Gozo, and it’s here that your WEEE needs to go (we’re not making that acronym up, it’s genuinely Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment). Open every day from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm, including public holidays, there’s no excuse for not disposing of your gadgets correctly. What you do need to keep an eye out for is how many times you can visit the sites per year, depending on vehicles size, as Waste Serv so kindly explain, though C licence vehicles have unlimited access.
You can also take tech back to where you bought it from originally, free of charge. If it needs picking up, the store can pick it up for you, but they do have a right to charge you for it. In either case, WEEE’s Take Back System will be used to dispose of these electric and electronic appliances.
Other options
Phone Refix provide another option in case you’re about to get rid of your phone due to damage. They offer expert repair services and reduced waiting time as they’ve got a large number of parts ready in stock, so there’s no waiting time for shipping. Apart from that, if you have a gadget that’s kind of bashed but not completely useless, they can fix it up and donate it to charity themselves…because yeah, they’re awesome that way too.
If you’re changing your phone, laptop or tablet simply to have a newer model, you could consider donating it instead to a worthy cause. Charity shops and domestic shelters will always need such items, so before throwing away, ask around. You can also consider selling your old tech. Amazon, eBay, garage sales, Maltapark, whatever – one man’s trash, other man’s treasure is valid with tech too.
For some, it might be the thrill of rebuilding or repurposing an old gadget. For others, the allure of vintage is too much, even if only for decoration rather than use.
Last but not least…
Log out of any subscriptions on your old machines and delete any data. Whether dumping or donating, make sure your devices are clean on the inside, because you never really know, do ya? And if you want something done right, do it yourself, or sit through the process with someone who knows what they’re doing.
