Local councils are giving inadequate advice about recycling to people seeking to dispose of their old computers, a consumer group warns in a new survey today.
Computing Which? magazine says that the lack of clear leadership from local authorities on the issue could lead to data falling into the hands of identity thieves.
As people upgrade their computers more frequently than ever before, a massive amount of defunct technology is left lying around unused, it claims.
For the new report, published today, the magazine contacted 109 councils across the UK to find out what advice they gave about recycling technology. One in seven could not say what would happen to a computer when it was recycled. Only two-fifths of councils who said the equipment would actually be recycled. One council worker said: "They just literally go into the landfill; they get smashed apart."
But people do want to recycle their unusual technology. Nearly one-third (32%) of those surveyed said they'd "find somewhere to recycle it"; 28% said they'd "give it away to a friend or family member"; and just 15% said they'd "take it to the tip".
Worryingly, the majority of councils did not seem concerned about the safety of personal data stored on old PCs. When asked whether data should be deleted before sending the computer for recycling, responses were vague. One advisor said it "shouldn't be a problem", while another remarked: "You can easily uninstall any information."
Computing Which? advises people to remove sensitive information from computers before sending them for recycling. A failsafe, but less environmentally friendly alternative is to remove the hard drive and smash it with a hammer.
Sarah Kidner, editor of Computing Which? said: "It's natural to look to local councils for help and advice on getting rid of old computers and monitors; after all they usually take the lead on waste disposal. Yet our investigation shows the quality of advice, and availability of services, vary from one council to the next. Perhaps more worrying is the lack of knowledge and advice on how to dispose of the data stored on your computer. This could mean that the local tip becomes a hunting ground for identity thieves."
