It’s best to recycle your computers and other technology items, when you don’t need them any more. Here are some tools and places to know about for e-recycling:
Mail-In Services
Best Buy recently launched a recycling service, where you can mail your unwanted tech to them for recycling. Unfortunately, it comes with some significant pricetags. I’m all about free, so here are some other mail-in recycling services that won’t cost you:
Amazon will recycle small items, and they will give you a free shipping label to send them in to them.
Apple will also recycle many items through the mail, also supplying you with a free shipping label.
Beyond Surplus offers free mail-in recycling, provided you have at least 2 laptops to put in the mailer-box.
Recycling Search Websites
Earth911 offers a nationwide search tool to give you ideas of who recycles technology items near you.
The Consumer Technology Association also offers a decent search tool.
Call2Recycle will help you find local places to recycle your batteries and cellphones.
Recycling Offered by Computer Manufacturers
Most computer manufacturers offer free & easy recycling options. It’s required by state and federal law. You can usually locate information about those by Googling for the manufacturer name + “recycling”. But maybe these links will save you some searching:
- Dell’s How To Recycle
- HP – Recycle
- Asus’ Mailback Program
- Lenovo’s US Recycling Programs
- Acer: Recycling Your PC
Other Local Options
Many national stores offer trade-in programs, where you get some amount of store credit or other value for select, working tech items. Check out:
- Staples Recycling services
- Costco’s Trade-in Program through Phobio
- Target Trade-in program through Assurant
- Best Buy Trade-in program
You can also usually take unwanted tech to your local landfill, but you’ll want to be aware of any fees they might charge before you drive there. You can usually expect the highest fees for CRT monitors, since our country has a bit of a problem handling those.
One final suggestion: in my region, the non-profit organization Blue Ridge Hospice accepts most electronics at their thrift store locations. Whether your electronics are working or nonfunctional, you can donate them to BRH and they will take care of them appropriately. They even offer to destroy hard drives, to ensure your data is not used elsewhere. Check out their website or their Facebook Page for more details and reach out to them if you have questions.
If you’re in a different part of the USA, you might call your local thrift stores and other non-profits to ask if any of them offer e-recycling like Blue Ridge Hospice!