From Circuit Board to Garden Bed: How Old Tech Can Help You Grow Green

At first glance, an old phone or laptop might seem worlds away from the soil and sunlight of your garden—but what if we told you those same devices could help grow your tomatoes, water your plants, or even create a sustainable oasis in your backyard?

At AVAY, we believe innovation doesn’t end when electronics stop working. In fact, that’s just the beginning. Through responsible recycling and creative reuse, your old tech can be transformed into tools that support environmental sustainability—including in your very own garden.

Reimagining Tech for the Garden

Most of us have a drawer full of unused devices: broken phones, outdated tablets, or once-trusted laptops that no longer boot up. Rather than sending them to landfills, we encourage our community to consider how these items can be part of something greener—literally.

Refurbished sensors, recycled electronics, and upcycled parts can be used to power smart garden systems. For instance, moisture sensors salvaged from used electronics can connect to small microcontrollers (like Raspberry Pi or Arduino), forming the brain of a DIY irrigation system. These systems detect soil dryness and trigger watering only when needed—saving water and promoting healthier plants.

And that old smartphone collecting dust? With the right apps and a little solar power, it can monitor weather, schedule watering cycles, or serve as a camera for time-lapse garden growth. Even cooling fans from desktops can be reused to ventilate a greenhouse or seedling chamber.

Fun Fact: Nature Loves a Nerd

It might surprise you to know that recycling just one million laptops saves energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year. Now imagine taking that same energy-saving device and giving it a second life—not in an office cubicle, but in a garden bed. In other words, what once powered spreadsheets could now power spinach.

Another interesting fact: the metals found in most phones—like gold, copper, and rare earth elements—can be recovered and reused. These recovered materials reduce the need for mining and support the growing demand for sustainable manufacturing in areas like agriculture tech.

AVAY Makes It Easy to Get Involved

We’re not asking you to crack open your own laptop with a screwdriver. Leave that to us. When you bring your electronics to AVAY, we handle the safe data destruction, materials recovery, and refurbishment. You can trust our certified ITAD services to do it securely and sustainably.

If you want your old electronics to have a second life, drop them off at:

📍 AVAY Drop-Off Location 4545 Groves Rd, Columbus, OH 🕒 Business Hours: 8:00 am-4:00 pm. Accepted items include: smartphones, laptops, desktops, tablets, cables, batteries, hard drives, and more. No appointment needed.

For bulk pickups or business services, contact us directly for a tailored recycling plan.

Grow Green, Think Tech

Recycling doesn’t have to mean tossing something into a blue bin and forgetting about it. It can mean reimagining the future of that device—and turning it into something that supports life, growth, and community.

Whether it's powering a water pump, helping students learn about soil health, or creating a tech-savvy compost monitor, recycled electronics can play a role in building a greener world—literally from the ground up.

So next time you upgrade your phone or retire a worn-out laptop, don’t just toss it. Bring it to AVAY and let it help grow something amazing.

AVAY: Recycle with purpose. Grow with innovation.