How do I dispose of these so they have no info on them?

[Sooz]

Hi, Everyone!

How do I dispose of these--as a regular consumer who has available only a screwdriver, a hammer, a mallet, table salt, and a 30% solution of vinegar? I know there is probably "info" on them and I'd just as soon render them useless to anyone once my local high school has their annual Electronics Disposal Day. 

As for the phone at the bottom of the phone, it doesn't even have a turn-in value.

Thanks!
Smiles,
Sooz

[jwboyd]

I have two great-grandsons (ages 9 and 7) who live nearby and love helping me disable/destroy dead electronic devices. They have invented some creative ways of doing so, but their favorite is still the sledge hammer. Very effective, and it's a great energy outlet for them!

Have a happy day.
Joe

[Xairbusdriver]

Did some very early "Spring" cleaning last week. Found some very old external drives to take to the dump. I found a 3/8th inch drill easily goes through both the sheet metal and the 'disk'. However, the 'disk' tends to shatter, of course the sheet metal collects all the bits (no pun intended, of course ) and pieces. Lacking a nice drill, almost any hammer will suffice.

[Sooz]

Thanks, Joe and Jim!
Ha ha, all the "bits" and pieces! You crack me up!   
Soooooo where exactly on the surface of these items should I be doing the deep down drilling?
Smiles,
Sooz

[krissel]

I agree with Joe, sledgehammer is best, the objects will tend to move a lot if you use a drill (or put in a vise). But a regular hammer will do the trick, just needs more hits. Aim for any disks which is where the data is stored, then go for the RAM, then processor, etc.  Oh, heck, take them outside, close your eyes (or use protective glasses) and let'er rip! 
 

[jcarter]

Long ago we took a bunch of old electronics and tossed them off our boat, out near the shipping channel where it was very deep and nobody fished.

[Xairbusdriver]

tossed them off the boat

Surely you jest! Please do not throw electronics in any waterway. How would you like folks throwing their trash into your house. Besides, many parts of electronics release deadly chemicals as they ‘decay’ whether in water or even a landfill.

You should be able to see an outline of at least part of the area where the spinning disks are. In the center of that circular area is where the bearing lives. Spinning things very much dislike having their center point disturbed. That's an ideal place for striking with a hammer. A concrete slab (driveway/sidewalk/patio/launch pad) makes a good support for the drive as you try to mash it into the center of the Earth.

As Krissel mentioned, do wear some protective eyewear! Might be wise to remove any animal life from the immediate area while exercising your hammer arm.

[jcarter]

Smash them up and put them in the trash, or to the dump as you said?

Nope,,,,,,, what we do now, is take them to our school when they have the electronics disposal day, which they didn't have 30 years ago.

[Paddy]

Hey guys...let's give GOOD advice here, eh? 

Sooz, if I recall, lives in California, where it is ILLEGAL (as it should be) to put electronics in the regular garbage or recycling.

All of these items should be recycled properly, no matter where you live, not simply put in the trash (smashed or not).

For how to make sure the phone doesn't have any info on it:
https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-96368/

The hard drive can be disassembled enough to physically scratch the platters - a screw driver is pretty much all you need for that. Drill works too - one hole will do it. But no need to go crazy. Better to let the recycling facility take it apart and dispose of it properly.

Whatever the second item is (looks like part of a hard drive enclosure) it won't have any info on it - so just put it in the electronics recycling as is.

PLEASE do not just smash things up and toss them in the trash. There is toxic stuff in the electronics and there is material that can be recovered and reused, reducing the amount we are stuffing in our already overflowing landfills. Be responsible.

[Sooz]

Thanks, everyone, for the extra advice!

Yes, indeed, in CA we cannot put electronics in the trash or recycling, so I'll try and take things apart with a screwdriver and also do the smash and drill (to be sure) and wait for my local high school to have recycling/electronic disposal day. Yes, protective eyewear is a must! Thanks for the reminder!

Smiles,
Sooz

[jcarter]

That is what we do here, the school makes money in addition, as we donate money, when we bring stuff in.
My grandson was on the committee several years ago, and they advertised in the paper and also signs on the way to town and the grocery.

We also have another disposal for toxic chemicals at the other school, same, you take your stuff in and donate.

All this stuff is handled by a company who comes to our town, and they deal with everything, as they know what it is and how to do it.
Then its trucked off to be properly disposed of. This was started about 35 years ago in our town, probably earlier in, and close to cities.

[Paddy]

That is what we do here, the school makes money in addition, as we donate money, when we bring stuff in.
My grandson was on the committee several years ago, and they advertised in the paper and also signs on the way to town and the grocery.

We also have another disposal for toxic chemicals at the other school, same, you take your stuff in and donate.

All this stuff is handled by a company who comes to our town, and they deal with everything, as they know what it is and how to do it.
Then its trucked off to be properly disposed of. This was started about 35 years ago in our town, probably earlier in, and close to cities.

They used to have two electronics collection days a year in Andover (when we were living in North Andover) and not only didn't require that you were a resident, they actually allowed people to take things they wanted. I can't tell you how many Macs I rescued and refurbished for a couple of years there. I'd donate them to the North Andover schools. It was insane - one was a relatively new iMac that simply needed a new hard drive. It was a bit like Christmas. And then they stopped letting anyone do that (there were quite a few "pickers" - mostly after PC bits though - I didn't have too much competition for the Macs - but did score a working PC for myself to do website browser testing with) and started requiring you to be an Andover resident. Ah...the good old days.

[jcarter]

Thats wonderful! I wish they let people do that around here.

I have been putting our older Macs on our our local FreeCycle page, when we buy new ones.

[Sooz]

Update:  DH did the drilling for me and then put on protective eyewear and gloves and got out the sledge hammer. He's about 6'3", 270 lbs (it's from my good Italian cooking and awesome desserts!) and he couldn't make a dent in these. Drilling will have to do!  My city is having an electronics recycling day next month, by appointment only, so that's where I'll dispose of these.
Thanks, everyone, for your help!
Smiles,
Sooz