E-Waste Recycling in the UAE: What Happens to Your Old Devices?
Updated: Sep 29
Old phones in a drawer. A laptop that stopped charging. A tangle of cables and a router from a previous internet provider. These things are easy to put aside when you’re not sure what to do with them.
ReLoop helps you take the next step, whether you want to recycle unwanted electronics or contribute devices to a donation initiative.
Why electronics need a separate recycling route
Electronic devices combine glass, plastics, metals and other components, often alongside batteries that need separate handling. Phones and computers may also contain personal or business information.
Recycling them means considering both the materials inside and the data they hold.
What can you recycle with ReLoop?
Category | Examples |
Electronics | Phones, laptops, tablets, monitors, printers, routers, cables, chargers and fans |
Appliances | Small kitchen appliances, televisions, washing machines and refrigerators |
Other items collected separately | Batteries, lamps and ink cartridges |
Not sure about an item? Send our team a photo and we’ll confirm. For larger items, share a photo before collection so we can coordinate the arrangements.
Choose your route: donation or recycling
Support education through device donation
Through DYOD (Donate Your Own Device), an initiative by The Digital School with the UAE Red Crescent, ReLoop and Ecyclex, you can contribute devices to support digital education.
The initiative accepts working and broken devices. Suitable devices are refurbished for donation, extending their useful life and helping students access technology.
Tell us you want to participate in DYOD before arranging the handover. Contact us through our Initiatives page with details of the devices you would like to contribute.
Arrange a recycling collection
For items you want to recycle, book a pickup through the ReLoop app. Home collections are available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi City and Sharjah.
Select your items. Choose electronics or large appliances, as appropriate, and book an available collection date.
Prepare for pickup. Place your items outside your door in the morning on collection day. Collections take place between 8am and 6pm.
We collect them for recycling. Items follow the material-recovery route at our facility.
Earn ReLoop points. Electronics earn 10 points per kilogram, worth AED 1. Rates vary by material category.
Your first household pickup is free.
What about your personal data?
Before handing over a device, delete your personal information and sign out of your accounts where possible.
Let our team know whether you are participating in the donation initiative or requesting recycling, and discuss any data-handling requirements before collection.
For office equipment, involve your IT team in the arrangements. Organisations requiring data protection documentation should confirm the process and reporting requirements with us in advance.
What happens to devices collected for recycling?
The process involves separating devices into components and material streams. Circuit boards, metals, plastics and glass require different recovery processes, while batteries are separated for appropriate handling.
Recovering these materials allows them to be used again. Devices contributed through the donation initiative follow a separate assessment and refurbishment route where suitable.
Curious about what’s inside an electronic device? Our E-waste Recycling workshop introduces the subject through practical learning and dismantling activities.
Prefer to drop off your electronics?
Drop-offs at our facilities are free of charge.
Location | Directions |
Dubai — Al Qusais Industrial Area 4 | |
Abu Dhabi — Mussafah |
Contact our team to confirm visiting arrangements before setting off.
Clearing electronics from an office or school?
If you’re replacing computers or clearing an IT storage room, start with a list of the equipment, approximate quantities and collection location.
Our recycling service for organisations begins with an assessment so collection arrangements and documentation requirements can be agreed around your needs.
Email support@reloopapp.com to discuss your collection.
Ready to empty the drawer?
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