How to Recycle Your Electronics

You’re probably familar with the term “planned obsolescence”: The electronics that we use every day have an expiration date. Eventually—and probably sooner than you think—they’ll stop working and join the global pile of ewaste.

The amount of ewaste in the world is incalculable, but one thing is for certain: It contributes to climate change and is hazardous to humans. Abandoned electronics crowd landfills, and their toxic metals and plastics can seep into soil and water or pollute the air when burned. Getting rid of these items, whether it’s because they no longer spark joy or literally have started to spark, is a task that must be handled properly.

Recycling is often presented as the solution, and while it’s not the complete answer to what to do with ewaste, it is often the best option we have. Toward that end, we’ve assembled this guide to places that will take your old or dead electronics and either turn them into something useful for someone else or make sure they’re safely recycled.

Best Buy

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Nationwide electronics retailer Best Buy(Opens in a new window) has, arguably, the best recycling program going. Its website details exactly what the store will take, and a drop-down menu in each category gets specific for your state. You can bring in up to three items per day. Most of them can be recycled for free; others might make you eligible for a discount or get you a trade-in deal. The store charges a $39.99 haul-away fee for large appliances or TVs, as long as you’re purchasing a replacement at Best Buy. The fee is $199.99 if you’re not buying anything.

Staples

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When you’re picking up printer paper at Staples(Opens in a new window), you can also drop off lots of electronics for recycling. The office-supplies seller has a free electronics recycling program with a long list of categories. You can bring in up to seven items per store per day. Rewards Members can get $5 per month for recycling electronics, and if you’ve spent $50 on toner in the past 180 days, you earn $2 for each toner cartridge you recycle. Businesses can use Staples’ recycling program(Opens in a new window) for their old tech, ink and toner cartridges, and even those K-cups their coffee machines spit out.

Apple Trade In

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Your old Apple devices can go back from whence they came. If your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac is in working order, you could receive an Apple gift card for it. And if your device is broken, you can still recycle it for free. The Apple Trade In(Opens in a new window) program isn’t just for Apple products: It accepts Android phones, printers, and more. Bring your items to an Apple Store, or get a prepaid shipping label from the Apple trade-in site.

Walmart CExchange

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Walmart CExchange(Opens in a new window) pays you for phones, tablets, game controllers, speakers, laptops, and wearables as long as they have enough value—but no matter what condition the items are in, they’ll be dealt with in an environmentally responsible way. Most electronics are reused, repaired, and refurbished. If they’re beyond usable, they’ll be recycled. To participate in the program, fill out an online form, and you’ll get a free prepaid shipping label from FedEx Ground. If your item has monetary value, you’ll also receive a Walmart egift card.

Amazon Recycling Program

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Alexa devices, Kindles, and any other small consumer electronics (Amazon-branded or not) can be recycled for free(Opens in a new window) through a third-party recycling program that partnered with Amazon. Fill out a form about your device, and you’ll receive a UPS shipping label. Amazon also offers a guide on how to recycle all of its packaging(Opens in a new window).

Call2Recycle

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Call2Recycle(Opens in a new window) focuses on batteries and cell phones: It directs people to local recycling drop-off partners, including Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Earth911

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Earth911(Opens in a new window) is a nationwide clearinghouse for recycling programs of all kinds. The electronics category is an A-to-Z (well, A-to-V, for vinyl records) guide of drop-off and mail-in programs you can search for by ZIP code.