Are you going to replace your battery, motherboard, camera or any other part? Are you planning to throw the old, defective part in your bin? Don't do it! In this article, we explain what to do.

We are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues and the right habits to adopt. One of these good habits is to repair rather than throw away a device that no longer works. By adopting this approach, you are already significantly reducing your impact on the environment. However, replacing a part of your device yourself means that you will end up with at least one electronic part in your hands. It would be a shame to throw it away in the wrong place!

Why recycle electronic components?

The electronic parts in your devices contain many components that are harmful to the environment.

Did you know that your smartphone contains more than 70 materials? Here is its composition:

30 to 35% plastic and synthetic materials.

15 to 20% copper.

10 to 15% lithium and other chemicals (bromine, magnesium, carbon, cobalt, etc.).

10 to 15% glass and/or ceramics.

25 to 30% iron and iron derivatives (zinc, tin, chromium, nickel, etc.).

0.5% precious metals: gold, silver, platinum, palladium, etc.

0.1% rare earths and rare metals: europium, yttrium, terbium, gallium, tungsten, indium, tantalum, etc.

Among all these materials, some are recyclable, such as plastic, copper, glass, iron... but also precious metals such as gold, which, as their names suggest, are rare and valuable. Recycling them is therefore essential, as their quantity in nature is limited and their extraction already has a significant environmental impact.

Other materials are extremely toxic, such as lithium, cobalt, bromine, etc. And they make up 15% of your smartphone. If these materials are disposed of in the wrong place, it has a dramatic impact on the environment, especially when multiplied by the billions of smartphone owners...

So where should I dispose of my spare parts if I repair my smartphone myself?

Now that you know why it is essential to recycle your defective parts, here is where to recycle them!

Numerous schemes and collection points have been set up to make recycling easier for individuals.

- The "1 for 0" scheme requires distributors of electrical and electronic equipment to provide a free collection point in their stores for electrical or electronic equipment smaller than 25 cm. You will find collection points in stores such as Darty, Boulanger, Lerclerc, etc., with no obligation to purchase.

- All waste collection centres have a container dedicated to electrical and electronic waste. If a trip to the waste collection centre for a small component does not seem relevant (again, think of the environmental impact), you can set aside your faulty component for the day when you need to dispose of a lot of waste at the waste collection centre!

- Specialised collection points have been set up to enable this type of waste to be collected directly. You can find a map of collection points near you depending on the type of waste concerned: https://www.ecologic-france.com/citoyens/ou-deposer-mes-dechets.html