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Recycling Tips for a Tech Savvy Holiday
Holiday gift giving is here. If you receive all the latest electronics you want, what will you do with your old stuff? Make a New Year’s resolution to share the good tidings by donating or recycling the electronic items you’re replacing such as cell phones, computers, TVs, or other electronics. There are three ways you can share holiday cheer.
Donate for Reuse
Donating your old electronics extends the lives of valuable products and delays their disposal. Used electronics that are still operating can be donated to community groups, local schools, nonprofit organizations, or individuals. Refer to our list of resources to help you donate your electronics.
Before donating your used electronic equipment, contact the beneficiary beforehand to find out what types of equipment they accept. Be sure to erase personal data from your computers, PDAs, and cell phones before donating them. If you have it, include original software and licensing information with the donated equipment.
Can't Donate? Recycle!
Broken electronics and computer relics too outdated to donate can be recycled. First, check with your product’s manufacturer to see if they will take back your product for recycling. For example, Dell offers free recycling of Dell products via its Web site. If you bought your product from a retailer, see if they offer an in-store collection program or if they are hosting an electronics collection event. Cingular, Best Buy, and Staples offer ongoing in-store collection of used cell phones, and Best Buy and Staples sometimes host collection events. Next, check with your local government to see if they are collecting electronics or if your county collects electronics as part of its household hazardous waste management program. Finally, check out our Plug-In To eCycling Web site for resources to help you locate electronics recycling near your community.
Resolve to Rethink Electronics Purchases
Make 2007 the year you rethink your buying decisions. Before
buying a new laptop or PC, compare and evaluate different
models’ environmental performance by using our Electronic
Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) 
. When purchasing
your cell phone or computer, ask the retailer or manufacturer
if they offer a “take-back” program. Dell, Hewlett-Packard,
Apple, Toshiba and Sony all offer to take back or trade in
older products. Several companies, such as Hewlett-Packard,
Dell and Apple, will accept equipment from other brands, as
well as offer this service free of charge if you purchase
a new computer from them. More information is available
about these manufacturer
asset recovery, trade-in, and leasing programs.
Plug-In To eCycling is an EPA partnership working to increase the reuse and recycling of old electronic equipment. Manufacturer and retailer partners commit to collecting, reusing, or recycling old electronics. Visit the Plug-In Partners page for a complete listing of participating companies. Plug-In To eCycling is part of our Resource Conservation Challenge national priority area of Green Electronics.
For More Information:
- Resource Conservation Challenge national priority area: Green Electronics
- Plug-In To eCycling
- eCycling
- Electronic Product Environmental
Assessment Tool (EPEAT)
- Do the PC Thing Fact Sheets