How To Recycle Old Electronics

By Tracey Dowdy

This Saturday is Earth Day. Since it was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, Earth Day has become a global movement and is often credited with spawning the widespread environmental advocacy that we see today.

One of the greatest areas of environmental impact is e-waste. A 2015 study by the UN found that the United States produces more e-waste than any other country. In fact, we produce a million tons a year more than the country in second place – China.

It’s imperative that our old electronics don’t end up in landfills. Alongside toxins in plastic and other manufacturing materials, many of them contain heavy metals which poison the water table and have long-term environmental impact.

Be a good steward of the environment and dispose of those electronics safely. It takes very little effort and the benefits will last for generations to come.

e-Stewards provides “the best electronic waste recycling solution for forward-thinking recyclers, enterprises and consumers.” The program is run by non-profit Basel Action Network, with a mission of ensuring e-waste is disposed of responsibly around the world. Search for a recycler in your area here.

Best Buy may be recycling’s biggest kept secret. The list of electronics they accept is massive, and even if they don’t accept in-store drop off, they may pick the item (think appliances and large TV’s), depending on local laws. You may not have noticed them, but there are recycling kiosks at the front doors to drop off items like ink/toner cartridges, cables, and batteries. You can bring in up to three items a day and for the most part, the service is free. A $20 fee applies to small tube TVs or CRT monitors.

Office Depot/Office Max sells tech recycling boxes in small, medium and large for $5 – $15. Stuff as much old tech and electronics in there as you can, bring it back to the store unsealed, and they’ll ship it off to recycling plants to be sorted by glass, plastic, copper and aluminum. This link takes you to a page that lists what it will and will not accept.

Call2Recycle specifically focuses on rechargeable batteries and cell phones. Follow the link , type in your state or your zip code, and they’ll pull up a list of retailers in your area that are Call2Recycle drop off sites. They’ve partnered with several familiar faces – Staples, Lowes, Home Depot, Verizon, and Apple Stores to name a few – so finding a location is easier than you think.

Finally, most major cell phone providers have programs for old devices. Some, like Verizon’s HopeLine actually do good work with your unwanted device. They take phones, chargers, batteries and accessories in working or non-working order, refurbish them, and provide them to victims of domestic violence living in shelters around the country, free of charge.

Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T all take back old devices, and some will even pay you for them, check with each provider for details.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Comments:

  1. Good information. Lucky me I recently found your site by
    accident (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!

  2. I have learn several good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting.
    I wonder how so much attempt you put to create any such fantastic informative website.

  6. I’m not certain where you’re getting your information, however good
    topic. I needs to spend some time finding out more or understanding more.

    Thank you for great info I was searching for
    this info for my mission.

  7. Hello there! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I truly enjoy reading your posts.
    Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that deal with the same topics?
    Thanks a ton!

    My blog post – good balanced diet

  8. I was recommended this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as
    no one else know such detailed about my trouble.
    You’re amazing! Thanks!

    Feel free to surf to my web-site low carb diet

  10. It?s nearly impossible to find experienced people in this particular subject, however, you sound like you know what you?re talking about!
    Thanks

    Here is my web site … great skin

  11. Hurrah, that’s what I was seeking for, what a data! present
    here at this weblog, thanks admin of this website.

  13. I needed to send you that little bit of remark in order
    to give thanks as before for all the stunning information you have shared here.
    This has been really tremendously open-handed with you
    to give without restraint exactly what a number of us might have
    made available as an ebook to help with making some profit for themselves, principally since
    you could possibly have done it in the event you wanted.
    Those suggestions likewise acted as a fantastic way to know that
    other individuals have the same dreams much like mine to understand a little
    more concerning this matter. I’m sure there are millions of more pleasant instances up
    front for individuals that look over your blog.

    Here is my web blog: growing weed indoors (ironblow.bplaced.net)

  16. Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just
    preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library
    but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad
    to see such fantastic information being shared freely out there.

    My page :: eat healthy foods

  18. Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found
    that it’s truly informative. I’m gonna watch out
    for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future.
    Many people will be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

    Look at my web site – try hemp seeds (tysensforum.com)

  22. I am only writing to make you know what a superb encounter my child went through
    viewing yuor web blog. She learned too many pieces, not to
    mention what it’s like to possess an awesome giving heart to let certain people with ease know specified tortuous subject areas.
    You undoubtedly exceeded visitors’ expectations. I appreciate you for imparting these warm and helpful, healthy,
    informative and even unique tips about that topic
    to Janet.

    my web-site – quality treatment

  24. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web
    site before but after going through a few of the posts I realized it’s new
    to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I came across it and I’ll be book-marking
    it and checking back often!

  25. certainly like your website however you have to test the
    spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and
    I to find it very troublesome to inform the truth on the other hand
    I will definitely come again again.

    Also visit my web page – natural skin care tip

  29. Wow, incredible blog layout! How long have you been blogging
    for? you make blogging glance easy. The whole glance of your website is magnificent, as
    well as the content!

  34. That is really fascinating, You’re an overly professional
    blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and stay up for in search of extra of your excellent
    post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!

    Feel free to surf to my blog :: impact carbs

  36. My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.

    I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.

    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a number of websites for about a year and am worried about switching to another platform.
    I have heard great things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer
    all my wordpress posts into it? Any help would be really
    appreciated!

  37. Definitely believe that that you said. Your favorite
    justification appeared to be at the internet the simplest factor to take into account of.
    I say to you, I certainly get irked even as people
    consider issues that they plainly don’t realize about.
    You controlled to hit the nail upon the highest and defined
    out the entire thing without having side effect ,
    people could take a signal. Will probably be back to get
    more. Thank you!

    Feel free to surf to my blog post :: fat loss

  39. I have been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or
    weblog posts on this sort of house . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this web site.
    Reading this information So i’m satisfied to exhibit
    that I’ve a very excellent uncanny feeling I discovered just what
    I needed. I so much no doubt will make certain to do not overlook this website and give it a glance on a constant basis.

  40. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about
    this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
    I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that,
    this is great blog. A fantastic read. I will certainly be back.

  41. Howdy this is kinda of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors
    or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting
    a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience.
    Any help would be enormously appreciated!

  42. obviously like your web-site however you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts.
    Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to inform the reality
    then again I will definitely come back again.

  43. It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy.
    I’ve read this post and if I could I want to suggest you few interesting
    things or tips. Perhaps you can write next articles referring to
    this article. I want to read more things about it!

    Feel free to surf to my page: free fire free diamonds

  72. Buy Glimepiride Online without a Doctor’s Prescription Inexpensive Actoplus for diabetes Treatment
    Online
    Online pharmacy for cheap Metformin delivery Where to buy affordable diabetes medication online

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended Articles

How To Get the Most Out of Alexa

The Best Pre-School Apps You’ve Never Heard Of

Toddlers, Tablets and the Right Amount of Screen Time

Spring Cleaning Your Digital World

Tips for Extending the Life of Your Laptop Battery