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FAQ
What do you recycle? We reuse or recycle electronics and appliances including: Mobile phones; laptops; desktop computers; servers; switches; hard drives; modems; tablets; cameras; camera lenses and accessories; computer games; Gameboys; Nintendos; Playstation; Xbox; iPads; iPods; iPhones; Android phones; graphics cards; tools; cords and cables; turntables; Foxtell and other type boxes; Apple TV; Telstra TV; IP Phones; DVD players; stereos; drones; small to medium-size power tools; routers; vintage mobile phones; vintage radios; receivers; amplifiers; blenders; toasters; vacuums; clock radios; radios; boom boxes. Don't see your items on our list? Contact us at support@whirlrecycling.com
Do you take household appliances? Yes we do! Anything smaller than a microwave, such as blenders, Thermomixes, toasters, irons, sewing machines, mixers and bread machines. But also vacuums, fans and lights (as long as the bulb is removed). We can take ceiling fans only if the blades are removed. We are not taking downlights anymore as they usually come with lightbulbs inside which shatter and create dangerous conditions in our van and warehouse.
What don't you recycle? Microwaves Printers Fridges Washing machines Dryers Dishwashers Stoves Ovens Exhaust fans BBQs TVs Air conditioners Lawnmowers Large machines Light Bulbs Light Fittings Loose Household Batteries (we can take the camera, laptop, mobile and other device batteries that come with the device) Petrol, gas or other flammable-fueled machines Anything with sludge, water, food, grease, fuel, animal waste or live creatures in or on it. We handle items by hand and place them in a van. Anything on the appliances will end up on our clothes and in our van.
Why don't you recycle light bulbs or light fittings? Light fittings often come with light bulbs. They require specialised handling and recycling. We do not have the facilities to handle them safely. Light bulbs are filled with gases and chemicals. Fluroscent tubes are lined wtih mercury. They almost always break during transport, venting toxic, harmful gases. Because we handle electronics by hand, those chemicals get on our clothes and we have often been cut by the broken glass. For our safety, please do not give us any light bulbs.
Why don't you take CRT (box) TVs? Their screens are 40% lead and require specialised recycling. Companies that are part of the government TV recycling scheme can take them.
Why don't you take take smoke alarms? While having them in your homes is fine, they become do contain a radioactive element and need specialised handling for recycling. We do not have the facilities to safely handle and recycle these items and so they put us at risk. ​ If you already have the four items from above or are coming to an event we can accept a larger variety of items including: Blenders; toasters; hand mixers; coffee machines; grinders; electric motors; lamps; light fixtures; transformers; monitors; electric garden tools; computer keyboards; mice; and similar.
Is your service really free? Yes, our recycling services, including certification are all free to everyone. This includes households, businesses, schools and government.
Do you pick up from homes, businesses, schools and religious groups? We do pick up from homes, workplaces, schools and religious groups when they have a minimum of four items from our list below.
Does any of it go to landfill? Nothing we pick up goes to landfill. Through our network of restorers, collectors and local small businesses we find someone who will give your items a second life as they are.
Why do I need to have four items for a pick up? As a free service and social enterprise, we need to cover the costs of vans, fuel, tolls and people needed to collect from homes. Certain items can only be recycled fully as scrap and so would not cover those costs. If you have at least four items (cables count for one) then we are more likely to cover our expenses, enabling us to continue to provide a free service.
Why do I need to clean my items? We pick up items by hand so any dirt gets on our clothes and skin. Items left out or in a garage for a long time will have dust and animal and/or bug waste. We end up breathing it as well. One item may not seem like a big deal, but we handle hundreds on any given day.
Why don't you call it e-waste? E-waste is about throwing out a problem. Recycling is about respecting it as something of value and finding a way to give it another life. ​
Why don't you drop off bins or boxes? Unmanned bins are unsecured and often people will take items from them. This means if you leave your laptop, phone or iPad/tablet anyone can take it and potentially access your data. As well, people drop food, coffee cups and other such things in bins. This contaminates the load. Any item with data is kept secured from the moment we pick it up, ensuring your data is safely destroyed.
Is my data safe if I can't erase my device? Yes it is. We erase all data from devices that we can turn on and sign in to. Devices that can not be secured are fully broken down to protect the data. For computers and laptops, when we can remove the hard drive, we use Active@KillDisk to erase drives to U.S. Department of Defense 5220-22M erasure and 20+ more international sanitising standards.
How can you use my Apple device if it's locked? It can't be used by anyone else if it's locked. if you have deactivated the Find My (phone) feature, erased the device and removed it from your iCloud account, it will be just like a new device and can be reused. If not, your data will be locked. The device will then only be used for parts or fully recycled to its base components.
Do you provide certificates of destruction or erasure? What is your process? Yes we do for businesses, schools, government or other professional organisations that require it and advise us prior to picking up. This service is free.​ ​ When booking a collection, let us know you need a certificate. Then, email an Excel spreadsheet of the serial numbers of your devices to be certified to support@whirlrecycling.com. ​ We will initiate an audit process to track the movements of your devices from the moment they are picked up until the data erasure is complete and certified. Once completed, we will email you a certificate.
Do you collect in regional areas or other cities outside of Sydney? We are based in Sydney right now but looking at areas in Victoria and Queensland with our strategic partners. For regional areas, we have organised community collection events with people and groups. If you are in a regional area and interested in discussing this further, email us at support@whirlrecycling.com
I changed my mind and want to get my device back. What can I do? It's not likely you'll be able to get your item back so make sure you want to give it up before giving it to us. We collect large volumes of electronics every day. They're mixed in with so many more it is unlikely we can find yours again and give them it back to you. Additional care is taken with items that collect data. To ensure that our customers data is protected and their privacy is respected, we can't risk the chance that we accidentally give you somebody else's device.
Can I drop stuff off at your warehouse? Not at this moment. We are happy to come to you to pick up items that are on our list.
Are you a not-for-profit or a charity? We are a for-profit, social enterprise. The money we make enables us to keep our pick up and recycling service free for the community. All future profits will go towards expanding our services and keeping them free.
How can we support Whirl? Thank you for asking! We have a small crowdfund page we just set up - https://ko-fi.com/whirlrecycling. These contributions offset our fuel and toll costs and help keep our service free. ​ ​The best way to support us is by recycling with Whirl and/or setting up a community collection on your street, with your business or school. ​ We are also looking for someone to sponsor a small van and office space. If you are interested, please contact us at: support@whirlrecycling.com
Do you repair electronics or appliances? Unfortunately we don't. We are not a repair service.
Where are you located? We have hubs in Summer Hill and Manly.