You don’t want to throw old gadgets into the trash. They often have a battery inside or valuable materials that can be reused.
Thanks to big retailers and even mail in boxes, it’s never been easier to properly recycle old electronics. Here are a few ways!
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Ubreakfix by Asurion is just one of several places you can bring old gadgets to be recycled for free.
“We’ll package it all up for you free of charge and send it off,” said Alexander Hausfeld of Asurion.
Their locations, which you might know for doing repairs, will also accept certain batteries, cell phones, computers and more. Just not TV’s.
They’ll even help you wipe data or remove hard drives. If that’s the case, it might be best to call and make a free appointment before you bring stuff in.
“We really enjoy making sure that waste that e-waste doesn’t go back into the environment and do any sort of harm,” said Hausfeld.
Update: After our report aired, I got a message from a viewer that their location refused e-waste for recycling. When I asked Asurion, I got this response: “all stores are expected to participate, but individual franchise stores are allowed to opt out of the program if they choose.”
Before you bring your gadgets in, I would call your location to see if they participate.
Best Buy stores will also accept many electronics for recycling, although depending on your state, there may be fees or limitations on items like TV’s and monitors, so check before you drop off.
Best Buy recently launched recycle-by-mail technology boxes.
You can order a small box for $23 dollars, which holds up to 6 pounds of e-waste.
There’s also a medium box for $30 dollars, which carries up to 15 pounds.
Just load them up with your old cables, gadgets, keyboards and more, then drop off at any UPS store and items will be properly recycled.
“Electronics recycling at best buy it’s a service to our customers where they can trust us, it’s convenient, trust us with your data trust us with responsible recycling and that’s why we put our brand behind this,” said Tim Dunn, head of environmental sustainability at Best Buy.
Staples says it has helped recycle more than 165 million pounds of e-waste since 2012.
The in-store program was on pause during COVID, but now it’s back up and running.
It’s free to recycle various items in store including old technology, ink and toner cartridges and household batteries.
A drop off might even get a few dollars off your next purchase. I was quite surprised how easy it was to drop off some items my mom was trying to get rid of. The process was fast and simple.
Finally, if you suspect your old gadget might be worth something, check out a website called Gizmogo. We visited their vast recycling plant a few years back. You can get a free quote even on damaged electronics, so before you drop off for free, it might be worth checking into.
