Local councils dish out shoddy computer recycling advice

People looking to recycle old computer kit are being given confusingadvice by local councils that could lead to identity theft, a consumergroup has warned.
Which? Computing magazine telephoned more than 100 councils across the UK asking for information on how to safely recycle defunct computers and monitors.
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Only two fifths of them were able to provide concrete assurance thatequipment would be recycled. A sizeable number gave questionableadvice, while one in seven had no idea what would happen to donated PCs.

"They literally go into the landfill; they get smashed apart," onecouncil worker told the magazine. Many also failed to point out theimportance of individuals erasing data from their computers beforehanding them over to be recycled.

One council worker advised: "You can easily uninstall anyinformation," while another said that leaving personal data on adonated PC "shouldn't be a problem".

The magazine's editor, Sarah Kidner, said: "Our investigation showsthe quality of advice and availability of services vary from onecouncil to the next.

"Perhaps more worrying is the lack of knowledge and advice on how todispose of the data stored on your computer. This could mean that thelocal tip becomes a hunting ground for identity thieves."

A number of factors have led to an upsurge of interest in peoplewanting to recycle old computer kit, including growing awareness aroundenvironmental issues, as well as the recent introduction in the UK ofthe Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) directive.

Just last week Computer Aid International,a charity that sends equipment donated from UK businesses to developingcommunities around the world, kicked off an ambitious appeal to bringin 50,000 PC and laptop donations in 2008.

Computer Aid International's PC donations manager Anja Ffrench told The Register that people need to be clear that data stored on their hard drive has been deleted irreversibly.

She added that the person making the donation should also beprovided with proof that data has been successfully destroyed, andfinally that they can track where their computer ends up.

"There is a lot of confusion about how to completely remove allsensitive personal data from the hard drive, and what people need tounderstand is that simply hitting delete is not enough," she said.

Ffrench said the charity was confident that donated machines itreceives go through a "rigorous refurbishment process" to preventpersonal data stored on PCs being stolen.
The service Computer Aid International offers includes a free guideon WEEE compliance as well as a reporting system that tracks when eachcomputer's data was wiped.