Recycling Old Electronics

AeryFairy

AeryFairy

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Manchester, UK
Just for people who aren't aware;

Apple have a paid recycling program for old Macs, PCs, Smartphones, etc.

You can put the details of your device in for a quote, and then if you want to go ahead with it, they send you postage instructions and a pre-paid shipping label.

I've sent them my 7 year old Macbook laptop (which is so slow it's basically useless) for £135. Good way to get a bit of extra cash if you have old devices lying around.

Apple (United Kingdom) - Recycling Programme for Computers
 
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There are e-waste recycling programs here in the U.S. as well. Some electronics are worth more than others. I'll be taking my old flip phone, which is worth nothing, to Verizon. If they can get it working, I want it donated to their emergency phone program (donating refurbished phones to battered women). If not, they'll have it recycled for the parts. There are other companies and outfits that will take unwanted electronics for recycling. I gave my old computer, monitor, CD player and TV to 1-800-Got-Junk? as well as some other e-waste.
 
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Here in Nashville, for example, there is one store in town that accepts computers and peripherals for recycling. But you have to transport the equipment to the store. Then they will recycle your CPU for free. But all the peripherals (monitors, keyboards, printers, etc.) they will weigh and you have to pay them a recycling fee of $5 per pound.

Occasionally, the local government has "e-waste" recycling days, where people will drive in their electronics and drop them off at a special collection point. These don't cost you anything, but they are few and far between, poorly advertized, occur on very short notice, and you often have to wait in a line of vehicles for maybe an hour to make your drop off.
 
Joe said:
They pay you (in some cases) to recycle with them! That's incredible! Amazing!
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Yep - it's because they can repair/reuse the parts (or in some cases the whole machine).

Indian Summer said:
I tried the specs and condition of Jen's MacBook, but it seemed doubtful they would pay anything for it. It seems they will only pay if they think it can be "reused", i.e. re-sold.
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Yeah, they're unlikely to pay anything if they won't then make a profit off it :p Luckily for me, although old and slow, all the bits they care about from my old MacBook are in good condition.
 
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