Recycling printed circuit boards can save you money on components if you are an electronics enthusiast, and it is good for the environment. The circuit boards have chemicals in them that should be kept out of the environment, so finding a responsible method of disposal is important. Removing components from the board for later use is a good way to stock your shelves with resistors and more, saving you costs on new supplies. With a soldering iron, a vise and a few minutes, you can strip down a board and shelve the components for later use.
Instructions
1 Place the printed circuit board in the vise and close gently. Heat up the soldering iron.
2 Grip the first component with the needle-nose pliers from the front of the printed circuit board, and heat the soldered connections on the back of the printed circuit board with the soldering iron. It's better to press gently on the wire with the soldering iron rather than apply it directly to the solder in the joint.
3 Gently pull the component with the pliers until the wire from the first joint comes away from the printed circuit board. This should take no more than about five seconds. If it takes longer, give your soldering iron a little more time to heat up.
4 Repeat the process for each connection holding the component in place. Wipe the soldering iron on the dampened sponge to remove melted solder as necessary.
5 Remove all components, repeating the above steps.
6 Navigate online to the Printed Wiring Board Resource Center to find a recycling center that will accept the stripped printed circuit board.
