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A European electronics research consortium celebrated the first Circular Electronics Day this week, an effort to promote reuse and recycling.

The occasion, designated Jan. 24, aimed to inform consumers and large enterprise generators about opportunities for recycling and reuse of retired devices. It was organized by a research project made up of diverse organizations including government agencies, OEMs, and a European sustainable electronics certification standard body.

“The purpose of #CircularElectronicsDay is to highlight the positives of reusing products and for people to share ideas and tips under the hashtag,” said Andreas Rehn, criteria developer for TCO Certified, the certification body.

The group offered tips to consumers, including that they consider buying second-hand devices or check for sustainability certification when purchasing new devices. When getting rid of a device, the group advised consumers to either wipe data and sell their old devices or take them to an e-scrap facility for recycling.

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