The correct disposal of old IT equipment is not something to be ignored and must be done in an environmentally responsible manner. If the equipment is beyond help then contact your local Council's Waste Department. However, if the equipment still has life in it you could consider giving it a local charity or a friend (everyone knows a penniless student!). However, whatever you decide to do you must consider what data is still lurking on your machine, for example, have you used your PC to make purchases on line, do you have a PayPal account, do you have an address book and what about passwords? Pressing the "Delete" button to remove your private data does not remove that information from the machine - it just puts it in to hidden files. For peace of mind you can do one of the following: - Remove the hard drive and store it safely and securely;
- Run quality data erasure software;
- Take the hard drive to a local data erasure company (always obtain written confirmation that they have completed the process);
- Physically destroy the hard drive, ensuring this is done safely and that remaining parts are as small as possible.
If you work for a company that needs advice on asset disposal, please visit our parent company's website EOL IT Services for more details | 
