Repurposing Old Tech Creative Uses for Discarded Gadgets and Devices
Repurposing Old Electronics A Guide to Creative and Sustainable Uses
In a world where technology is constantly changing and evolving, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest gadgets. But what happens to all those outdated devices that are no longer useful? Instead of sending them off to a landfill, why not repurpose old electronics for new uses?
Repurposing electronic devices can save you money, reduce your environmental footprint and give you a chance to get creative. In this guide, well explore the benefits and challenges of repurposing old electronics. Well look at how to properly dispose of hazardous materials, how to repurpose parts from obsolete electronics, and how to create fun projects from unwanted devices.
So lets get started!
The Benefits of Repurposing Electronics
Repurposing old electronics can have a variety of benefits. First, it saves you money. Instead of buying a new product, you can use the parts from your old device to create something new. Plus, by reusing materials, youre doing your part to reduce e-waste and help the environment.
You also have the opportunity to get creative with old technology. You can repurpose components such as circuit boards or motors and turn them into something new. With laptops and other electronics for sale in West Jordan, you can easily find the parts and materials you need to create your own projects.
How to Properly Dispose of Hazardous Materials
When repurposing old electronics, its important to properly dispose of any hazardous materials. Many electronic devices contain heavy metals, solvents, and other toxic materials that should not be disposed of with regular household trash.
Before you begin to repurpose your device, its important to research the proper disposal methods for hazardous materials. Your local government may have guidelines on how to safely get rid of these items.
Additionally, many electronic manufacturers offer free recycling programs. Check with your manufacturer to see if they have any available options that you can use. This will ensure that hazardous materials are disposed of properly and without any risks to the environment.
How to Repurpose Parts from Obsolete Electronics
Once youve disposed of hazardous materials, you can start repurposing old electronics. Start by researching the components that can be salvaged from your device. For instance, many laptops contain useful parts such as hard drives, LCD screens, and batteries.
You can put these components to use in a variety of ways. For example, you can use old laptop hard drives for extra storage in your home or office computer. Or you could turn an LCD screen into a digital picture frame.
How to Create Fun Projects From Unwanted Devices
You can use old electronics to create fun and unique projects. For instance, you could repurpose an old laptop into a media server for streaming videos and music. Or you could turn an old smartphone into a security camera or a remote control car.
All you need is a bit of creativity and the right components. You can find all sorts of parts online, including motors, circuit boards, and more. With these components, you can create your own robots or build a wearable device to monitor fitness data.
How to Donate or Sell Used Electronics Responsibly
One of the best ways to repurpose old electronics is to donate or sell them. There are many organizations that accept donations of used devices, and these items can be refurbished for use by someone else.
When donating used devices, make sure you wipe all personal data from the device before handing it over. Also, check with the organization to see what types of devices they accept.
You can also sell your old devices on websites like eBay or Craigslist. Just be sure to list the condition accurately and include all relevant product details, so potential buyers know what theyre getting into.
Now that you know about the benefits of repurposing old electronics, why not give it a try? Its an easy and cost-effective way to reuse materials and help the environment. Plus, you can have fun creating something new from an unwanted device.
How To Repurpose Your Home's Old Tech (And Why You Should)
While perhaps the most direct and least exciting option, recycling your home's old technology is the most responsible way to get rid of devices you can't find a use for. Whether it's trading in old tech for a little extra cash or simply finding a nearby recycling center for that bulky PC you've had in the closet since the early '90s, it's always best to dispose of these electronics the right way.
There are a few important things to keep in mind before getting rid of your old electronics. Perhaps most importantly, backing up any important data, be it game saves, photos, or files, is invaluable. However, equally as important is the deletion of that data. Most modern phones, tablets, laptops, and game consoles have an option in the Settings menu to revert the device back to factory settings, automatically clearing all user data. Given that many of us save credit card data on these electronics for faster purchases, it's critical that this information is deleted.
Once the devices are prepared, recycling has become more convenient than ever. Several Best Buy locations offer electronics recycling right in the entryway, and the company even offers a haul-away service for appliances and TVs when a replacement is purchased. GameStop will almost always buy back old gaming hardware. And, as always, SlashGear is ready to help here are more ways to dispose of electronicsproperly.
MakeUseOf
Nowadays, its hard to keep up with the tech-fascinated culture and the need to constantly upgrade electronics every time a new version hits the market.
Lets face it, why waste a gadget thats still useful? Remember, throwing it away contributes to electronic waste.
If youre still planning to chuck the older version of your electronics, there are plenty of creative ways you can convert them into future technology. Here are eight exciting projects to make use of your old tech relics.
1. DIY Cellphone-Powered Robot
Most smartphones nowadays are based on Android OS. These phones feature different inbuilt apps that exploit features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to control other devices. In this project, youll create a robot controlled by a running app. The control commands are issued via Bluetooth.
Some of the cool features of this cellphone-powered robot include:
- You can control it by voice/touch commands from Android applications
- You can measure the speed of the robot
- The robot will send information about the directions it moves
The project can also be made using micro controllers (Arduino/Atmega), but that requires coding.
2. Old Phone to a VoIP Handset
A VoIP handset can be a convenient and inexpensive alternative to land-based phone services, but youll need an internet connection. Buying VoIP-enabled phones to replace old analogue devices can be costly.
As such, many router manufacturers and VoIP service providers have incorporated VoIP features into their routers or created analogue-to-VoIP adaptors. These devices allow you convert an analogue phone to a VoIP handset with a plug-in.
The only additional equipment required for this project is a microphone, speaker, and an adapter for connecting the phone and modem together.
3. Old Router to Wireless Internet Radio
What better way to use your old wireless router than to convert it to an internet radio?
With your wireless router, you can stream thousands of songs and radio shows. Unlike most FM radio stations, internet-based radio is dedicated to specific genres of music. In addition, there are fewer advertisements meaning that youll enjoy content without unnecessary interruptions.
While the actual cost of buying an internet radio is expensive, building one yourself using on old router will save a fewdollars. Youll need materials such as a USB sound card, speakers, an amplifier, and knobs.
4. Book Scanner From Old Projector
Although books are a great source of knowledge, storing many physical copies will clutter your room. If you already have a bunch of old books filling up your limited living room space, this project will help declutter.
Scanning most of your books will let you to walk around with your entire library because you can save the digital copies on your phone and laptop. Youll free up space in your study room, and use it for other purposes. The scanned books can be donated to needy students or charitable organizations.
An old projector and a good camera are all you need to get started.
5. Old Netbook to a Touchscreen Tablet
If you still have your old netbook on the shelf, you probably know that their popularity isnt coming back any time soon. However, you can turn the gadget into a tablet and enjoy the benefits that come with a modern touch interface.
With a cheap overlay touchscreen and some software, youll refresh the netbook giving it new functionality. The setup will help you save cash if you were considering to buy a new iPad or tablet.
Related: How to Reuse Your Old Hardware
6. Home Automation with an Old Router
Heres a clever way to automate your home with one of those old internet routers you bought years ago but no longer use. The electronic components in the router can easily be repurposed into a smart home hub with internet connection, Ario software, and a USB sound card.
Connect your phones, tablets, TV, music system, and other smart devices to the router. The system will be easy to operate as you can control it from an Android or iOS device.
Now that youve made a few operations easier in your home by automating them, why not tackle another project to improve entertainment. Heres how you can build a home theater on a shoestring budget.
7. DIY Self-Closing Hinges
Besides providing a quiet environment and reducing the level of wear and tear on your doors, self-closing hinges protect your kids from injuries. The mechanism behind this project isnt so technical that youll have a hard time figuring out.
Its an easy project you can finish in an hour or two, especially if youre replacing old hinges since you already have the measurements.
8. Mobile Phone Charger From an Old PC fan
Do you have an old PC that you dont use because its too slow or virus-infested? Here is a chance to convert it into a power source. Every desktop computer has a fan for cooling the CPU. Like any other motor, the fan will generate an electric current if it spins too fast.
The PC fan can be connected to a bicycle, so you can charge your phone and other devices such as walkie talkies while riding it. However, the project can be improved if you use a solar panel. Its worth noting that this module cant charge devices that require over 110V.
You only need one 12V DC PC fan, 5V step-up module, and a charging cable for this project, but that doesnt mean that your other old PCs should end up in the landfill.
Read More: Find Recycling Plants Near You
Repurpose Old Gadgets, Save Money
There are several obsolete gadgets in your house that you dont want to get rid of, but you have no idea how to repurpose them. With the above ideas, we hope youve be inspired to tackle at least one project.
Most of the resources youll need are probably lying around your home or can be bought for cheap. More importantly, youll create a gadget that wont need replacement any time soon.
How to Repurpose Your Old Gadgets
Electronic waste is a huge problem, one that's getting worse: We're now producing 21 percent more e-waste globally than we were five years ago. When it comes to gadgets like phones, your brand new model will likely be superseded in a year, and sometimes not even that.
That's why it's worth thinking twice about what you do with your old gadgets whenever something new arrives. You might be surprised at how many ways you can repurpose an old piece of hardware, even if it's several years old and has become too slow to fulfill its original function properly anymore.
These are some of our favorite ideas, but there are more out therewith a little bit of imagination, you might be able to come up with something new.
Turn an Old Phone or Tablet Into a Security Camera
When a smartphone has outlived its usefulness, don't toss it. There's a lot of working tech in there that can fulfill other roles. One of these roles is as a security camera, providing an always-on video feed that you can tap into using another phone from anywhere else in the world.
To get this set up you'll probably need some kind of tripod or mount, unless you want to get creative with books and ornaments. You'll also need some software: Manything and Alfred offer both Android and iOS apps for the job, and there are others out there. It's simply a question of installing the relevant app and following the instructions.
This works for tablets as well, of course, though getting them set up and in position might be a bit tricker because of the extra size. Bear in mind that many phones and tablets are now waterproof, so this could even work outdoorsthough your mobile device of choice is going to need to stay connected to a power supply at all times.
Turn an Old Phone or Tablet Into a Media Remote
Over the last few years we've seen a flurry of new wireless streaming protocols arrive and expand in scope. Think about how many ways you have to stream media wirelessly now, including Apple AirPlay, Google's Chromecast system, the apps that Sonos provides with its speakers, and plenty more.
What this means for your old phone or tablet is that you can use it as a dedicated media remote or hub. Keep an old iPad next to your Apple TV for beaming over shows and movies, or keep an old Android tablet next to your Chromecast dongle for streaming Spotify or YouTube playlists to it.
This frees up your phone from the job, which means less of a strain on battery life, and it also means everyone in the family can pick up the device and start streaming, without worrying about logins or lock screens.
Control your Spotify devices using a dedicated device.
David Nield via SpotifyUse an Old Laptop as a Media Center
On a related note, old laptops can be repurposed as media centers, storing your videos and music, ready to be streamed around your home. It's an lightweight task, so it suits older hardware, and it means you can keep plenty of hard drive space free on your brand new laptop as well.
Software such as Plex or Kodi is perfect for the task (and can even serve up media to devices outside your home if needed), or you can use the Music and TV apps that Apple supplies with macOS to do the job. The wireless streaming protocols we mentioned earlier mean that you shouldn't have to do too much in terms of setup.
