If disposed by a member of the public, HWRCs (Household Waste Recycling Centres) here ask that you presort waste and dispose correctly on site. It probably went into the landfill because whoever disposed of it bunged it in non-recyclables with other unsorted waste, instead of WEEE waste.

They will also happily take functional or repairable goods directly to refurb and resell at a ‘tip shop’.

He’s not the first and won’t be the last to be taught a lesson in backups. A particularly hard lesson for him.