Independent guide — not the official Oregon E-Cycles program and not affiliated with Oregon DEQ. Official program information: Oregon DEQ — Oregon E-Cycles.
E-Cycles Oregon GuideIndependent consumer guide

Tag 02 · Before drop-off

Wipe your devices before you drop them off

Oregon DEQ's E-Cycles pages don't promise anything about the data on the devices you bring in. They point consumers to manufacturer instructions for erasing a computer first. The safe assumption: whatever is on the device when it leaves your hands is your responsibility. Here is what the official guidance says to do.

The three steps that apply to everything

  1. Back up. The FTC suggests moving files to a new computer, a cloud service or an external drive, and choosing a cloud service that offers multi-factor authentication.
  2. Sign out and unlink. Turn off device-finding features and sign out of your accounts so the next owner — or a recycler — isn't blocked by activation locks and can't reach your accounts.
  3. Erase with the built-in reset. The FTC's advice for computers is to use the operating system's own tool to erase all files and reset to factory settings. Deleting files one by one is not the same thing.

Device by device

DeviceWhat the manufacturer says to use
Windows PCSettings → Reset this PC → Remove everything, with the Clean data option turned on. Microsoft recommends this when you donate, recycle or sell a PC.
Mac (Apple silicon or T2 chip, macOS Monterey or later)System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. Older Macs follow a separate Apple article.
iPhone / iPadSettings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings, after signing out of your Apple Account.
Android phone or tabletFactory reset from the Settings app; know your Google Account password first.

Windows

Microsoft's "Reset your PC" article describes two choices. Keep my files reinstalls Windows but keeps your documents and photos, so it is not suitable for recycling. Remove everything deletes personal files, apps and settings; turning on Clean data also cleans the drive so deleted files are harder to recover. Microsoft notes that this option is not designed to meet government or industry data-erasure standards, and that the process can take a long time — don't restart the PC while it runs.

Mac

On a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip running macOS Monterey or later, Apple's Erase Assistant removes your data, settings and apps while keeping the installed macOS. It signs you out of Apple services, and you'll need your login and Apple Account passwords. If you see a message about other volumes, Windows may have been installed with Boot Camp; Apple links a guide for removing it.

iPhone and iPad

Apple's checklist before you sell, give away or trade in: back up; unpair an Apple Watch; sign out of your Apple Account (on iOS 26 or later you can choose to erase or sign out); deregister iMessage if you're leaving iPhone; then erase via Erase All Content and Settings. Remove any physical SIM, erase the eSIM when prompted, and remove the old device from your trusted-devices list.

Android

Google's help page says a factory data reset erases your data from the phone. Back up first; make sure you know the Google Account username and password on the device (if you changed the password recently, Google says to wait 24 hours before resetting) and your screen-lock PIN or pattern. The reset can take up to an hour. For model-specific steps, check the phone maker's support site.

Phones in general

The FTC adds: take out the SIM card (move it to the new phone or destroy it) and any SD memory card, and if you're changing numbers, update the accounts and authenticator apps that use your number to verify your identity. Note that phones are not covered devices under Oregon E-Cycles — see retailer programs for where they can go.

What about the recycler?

The EPA says the two accredited US certification standards for electronics recyclers, R2 and e-Stewards, both require recyclers to destroy all data on used electronics. That is a backstop, not a substitute: the EPA's own consumer checklist still tells you to delete all personal information from devices before you donate or recycle them, and to remove batteries, which may need separate recycling.

For organizations, the federal reference is NIST Special Publication 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization. Revision 2 was published in September 2025 and supersedes the 2014 Revision 1. It describes sanitization as a process that "renders access to target data on the media infeasible for a given level of effort." If you are clearing out a small office, that is the document your IT provider should be working from.

Checklist

Then find a site via the guide home or the official DEQ page.

Sources

  1. Oregon DEQ — E-Cycles information for consumers
  2. FTC — How to remove your personal information before you get rid of your computer
  3. FTC — How to remove your personal information before you get rid of your phone
  4. Microsoft Support — Reset your PC
  5. Apple Support — Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings
  6. Apple Support — What to do before you sell, give away or trade in your iPhone or iPad
  7. Google — Reset your Android device to factory settings
  8. US EPA — Electronics basic information (certified recyclers)
  9. US EPA — Electronics donation and recycling
  10. NIST — SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media Sanitization