Technology Apr 18, 2026 · 3 min read

E-Waste Aware — Sanitise First, Then Recycle 🌏

This is a submission for Weekend Challenge: Earth Day Edition What I Built E-Waste Aware is a Flask web app that guides you through the responsible disposal of old tech — before it ends up in landfill leaching lead, mercury, and cadmium into the soil for decades. The tool has two parts...

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DEV Community
by ShadowStrike
E-Waste Aware — Sanitise First, Then Recycle 🌏

This is a submission for Weekend Challenge: Earth Day Edition

What I Built

E-Waste Aware is a Flask web app that guides you through the responsible disposal of old tech — before it ends up in landfill leaching lead, mercury, and cadmium into the soil for decades.

The tool has two parts that work together. First, a device-specific data sanitisation checklist — because handing over a device that still has your accounts, passwords, and personal files on it is a security problem as much as an environmental one. Second, a curated guide to Australian recycling programs for that device type, with direct links to drop-off locations.

Six device types are covered: laptops, smartphones, hard drives and SSDs, tablets, printers, and monitors. Each has its own sanitisation steps and relevant programs like TechCollect, MobileMuster, and Cartridges 4 Planet Ark.

The checklist is interactive — tick off each step as you go, watch the progress bar fill, and get a confirmation banner when your device is ready for recycling. Clean, no account required, no data collected.

Demo

The home page — select your device from six categories to get your personalised disposal guide

The smartphone disposal guide — step-by-step sanitisation checklist with Australian recycling programs and direct links

Code

GitHub logo ShadowStrike-CTF / ewaste-aware

A Flask web app for responsible e-waste disposal — sanitise your device first, then find the right Australian recycling program.

E-Waste Aware 🌏

A Flask web app that guides you through responsible disposal of old tech — sanitise first, then recycle.

Built for the DEV Community Weekend Challenge: Earth Day Edition 2026 by ShadowStrike (Strategos).

What This Does

Most e-waste guides jump straight to "here's where to drop it off." This tool does the step before that — because a device with your accounts still active, your files still intact, and your passwords still saved is not ready to hand to a stranger.

E-Waste Aware covers two things for each device type:

  1. Sanitisation checklist — step-by-step data wiping instructions specific to your device, with an interactive tick-off and progress tracker
  2. Australian recycling programs — curated drop-off options with direct links

Devices Covered

  • 💻 Laptop
  • 📱 Smartphone
  • 💾 Hard Drive / SSD
  • 📲 Tablet
  • 🖨️ Printer
  • 🖥️ Monitor / TV

Installation

pip install flask
python app.py

Then open http://127.0.0.1:5000 in your…

How I Built It

The stack is deliberately minimal — this is a tool, not a framework showcase.

  • Python 3 + Flask for routing and template rendering
  • Jinja2 templates for the two-page flow (device selection → disposal guide)
  • Vanilla JavaScript for the interactive checklist state (no dependencies)
  • Google Fonts (Syne + DM Mono) for the UI typography
  • Single requirements.txt with one dependency: flask>=3.0.0

The device data lives in a Python dictionary in app.py — sanitisation steps, environmental impact stats, and recycling program details all keyed by device type. Keeping it in one place makes it easy to update as programs change or new devices are added.

The design leans into an earthy, organic aesthetic that feels appropriate for an Earth Day tool without being generic. Dark soil tones, forest green accents, and a noise texture overlay give it atmosphere without weighing down the load time.

The sanitisation-first angle was a deliberate decision. Most e-waste tools jump straight to "here's where to drop it off" — but a device with your Apple ID still active, your Google account still signed in, or your files still intact is not ready to hand to a stranger. The security layer is the differentiator here, and it's something every person who's worked in IT or digital forensics will immediately appreciate.

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Source

This article was originally published by DEV Community and written by ShadowStrike.

Read original article on DEV Community
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