Last summer Apple launched its recycling programme in the US, which allows customers to 'trade-in' their old iOS devices in return for an Apple gift card for the remaining value of the device.

Apple has now confirmed that it will also be rolling out its recycling programme to the UK, France and Germany, the only difference being that European customers will receive a direct deposit into their bank accounts for the value of the device.

Recycling your old Mac products couldn't be easier. All you're required to do is fill in an online form and Apple will provide you the necessary packaging to send your product back. Once Apple has received the product it will determine its fair market value and issue a gift card or deposit the amount into your bank account.

Some devices may not receive a monetary reward, however customers can still safely dispose of their old iOS goods free of charge. Apple has reassured customers trading in devices of value will receive a gift card or bank account deposit.

When you recycle with Apple, your used equipment is disassembled, and key components that can be reused are removed. Glass and metal can be reprocessed for use in new products. The majority of the plastics can be pelletised into a raw secondary material. With materials reprocessing and component reuse, Apple often achieves a 90 percent recovery rate by weight of the original product.