In the piece about computer recycling in the Green Guardian of Feb 22 I saw no warning given that people should ensure that the computer's hard drive is completely erased of content.

Any computer that has been used on the internet for personal banking, etc will have their details retained on it. Merely deleting files is not sufficient - they remain on the drive and can be accessed. Does the warehouse do this?

It is known that many computers sent from the UK to Africa end up at dealers in Lagos where the hard drives are removed and are available in their hundreds for anyone to purchase in bulk.

People should either have the erasure done professionally or, if they can identify their hard drive, remove it and smash it.

Secondly, far larger quantities of dangerous material leaks from the large quantity of discarded batteries than from the odd computer (where in Merton does one take old batteries?). Removing computers to Africa may make our landfill sites marginally safer but does not help the fate of the small kids who will be used to strip down the components using hazardous acid baths in back streets, as occurs in India and China.

M FORBES (by email)