Topic: Free hard drive recycling, & you get a 15% WD store coupon per batch sent

[morst]

I scrapped two dead old hard drives and got the WD discount. The perk is a small discount for their online store which sometimes has the same or slightly better prices than my go-to big box retailer (whose name starts with B.B.)

https://www.westerndigital.com/company/programs/easy-recycle


They pay shipping so it's totally free except for packing materials and getting it to a UPS store.

Here’s some details if anyone cares:
Maximum of one coupon code per customer per calendar quarter, regardless of number of drives submitted for recycling.
The coupon code may not be combined, used in conjunction with or used in addition to any other promotion or offer and does not apply to taxes or shipping costs.
Products exclusions: Outlet Store products and recertified products.

[Gutbucket]

Cool.  Have a bunch of old work computers I can pull drives from.  I imagine holes drilled through them with a drill-press (as DIY data security assurance) won't negate the offer.

[morst]

Cool.  Have a bunch of old work computers I can pull drives from.  I imagine holes drilled through them with a drill-press (as DIY data security assurance) won't negate the offer.

I think they are gonna shred them anyway. Actually I wonder what they do with them.
I got the coupon and certificate of destruction the same day the box arrived to them. It's pretty generic.

"USMe certifies that the Client’s assets referenced herein were received, destroyed, and recycled in accordance with EPA and WEEE guidelines for recycling."
I suppose I'll look up what those guidelines are...


🐇🕳️

[morst]

egads they are terribly general:
Here's what Europe gets:



https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/149/made/en/print

Recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment
23. Each producer that is responsible for financing the environmentally sound management of waste electrical and electronic equipment in accordance with the provisions of regulations 16, 18(1) and 19(1) shall ensure-
(a) that he or she or a third party acting on his or her behalf meets, with regard to waste electrical and electronic equipment sent for treatment the minimum targets as set out in Schedule 10;
(b) that recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment is carried out using best available techniques.

[morst]

Following the trail of that Schedule 10, I get this, which is more specific and also very general.


https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32008L0001
Any estab­lishment or undertaking carrying out collection, recycling and treatment operations should comply with minimum standards to prevent negative environmental impacts associated with the treatment of WEEE. The best available treatment, recovery and recycling techniques should be used, provided that they ensure human health and a high level of environmental protection. Best available treatment, recovery and recycling tech­ niques may be further defined in accordance with the procedures of Directive 2008/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (2).

[voltronic]

Cool.  Have a bunch of old work computers I can pull drives from.  I imagine holes drilled through them with a drill-press (as DIY data security assurance) won't negate the offer.

No need for drilling; just use DBAN. Or at least use it first before drilling.

https://dban.org/

[morst]

Cool.  Have a bunch of old work computers I can pull drives from.  I imagine holes drilled through them with a drill-press (as DIY data security assurance) won't negate the offer.

No need for drilling; just use DBAN. Or at least use it first before drilling.

https://dban.org/

Data wiping software?
Cool!
That's a great idea to insure that un-environmental shredding of toxics and heavy metals is unnecessary!
(let's hope the recyclers are thoughtful and protect their workers and this nutty planet we inhabit!)
Also a good idea in general for anyone reselling used data storage devices which are not fresh factory refurbs.

[voltronic]

There's others out there, but I have used DBAN for at least 25 years. Just be careful with it, or you might wipe a drive you don't intend to. Best practice is to disconnect all other drives except the one you are wiping.