3 Ways to Declutter Tech Responsibly

In honor of Earth Day today, and via my role in the Office Champions program, I wanted to share a couple of resources re: decluttering tech responsibly. Because if you’re like me, you have some gear that sorely needs to be scrubbed and disposed of (such as the computer I used to collect data on my dissertation experiments 15 years ago...doh!). This spring I am committing to decluttering my tech, and I wanted to share these helpful tips and resources:

1. SCRUB. One thing that definitely has hindered my recycling of old tech gear is the fear that I won't properly scrub my hardware and then face security problems later on. Here's a guide for how to back up and remove data from devices.

2. DONATE. What would feel better than giving your old hardware a new life? You can donate equipment to people in need via the Microsoft Refurbisher program. So cool!

3. RECYCLE. In many instances, you need to pay to recycle your hardware. Microsoft offers sponsored recycling opportunities in your area that will enable you to recycle your hardware for free.

And if you're looking to further green your everyday life via technology, definitely check out OneNote. It's a great digital note-taking app that allows you to go paperless via photos and notes. Yay for less scraps of paper floating around!

Disclosure: This post was inspired by my role as a compensated Office Champions ambassador; ideas and opinions are, of course, my own! For more in this series, check out my 9 tips for digital decluttering and 6 financial things to do to make being a small business owner less painful!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net