Recycle Electronic Waste & Earn Rewards
Advances in technology happen at an astounding rate. In fact, according to Moore’s Law, the processing power of computers doubles every two years! While this is excellent news for the breakthroughs in knowledge, new things that we can experience, and personal convenience, it also comes at a cost — our technology seems outdated rather quickly.
Electronic Recycling Centers
Global competition has made it cheap and easy to purchase new electronics — often, this is long before the old electronics stop working. These old electronics contain plastics and metals that can be recycled and hazardous waste that needs to be kept out of landfills and the environment.
Fortunately, many of the top electronics brands have funded electronic recycling centers and electronic recycling programs to incentivize recycling! Learn more below about how to recycle your electronics and earn discounts and gift cards while responsibly disposing of e-waste.
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How to Recycle Old ElectronicsÂ
Modern lives include lots of electronic devices, but unfortunately, not all of them are designed to live forever. When an electronic device is no longer useful, it can be challenging to know how to properly and safely dispose of it.
What is Electronic Waste Recycling?
Electronic waste recycling separates and safely extracts components in electronics for future use in new products. The recycling process keeps items out of landfills and keeps toxic elements from contaminating the environment.
These electronic recycling programs help make recycling easy — either with rewarding incentives to recycle or convenient and free recycling options.
Recycle Electronics for Rewards
Electronic Waste Recycling
These great programs make recycling easy by offering rewards when you return old electronics for recycling.
- Advance Auto Parts: recycle automobile, golf, marine, or light truck batteries and receive a $10 store gift card (see details)
- free additional program to recycle used motor oil
- free (refundable deposit required) tool loaner program (see details)
- Best Buy: recycle consumer electronics from any brand and receive a gift card based on value of items and/or a % discount (see details)
- Get 15% off a new modem, router, gateway and In-Home Wi-Fi Setup service for recycling a modem, router, or modem/router combo (in-store only through 12/31/22)
- Get 20% off of Amazon EReaders for trade-in of any working Amazon Ereader (in-store only)
- Get 10% off of a WD or SanDisk Professional hard drive for recycling an HDD or SSD (in-store only through 1/23/23)
- Get $30 or $50 off select Epson printers for recycling any printer (in-store only)
- Get $30 or $50 off select Epson scanners for recycling any scanner (in-store only)
- Best Buy Totaltech members get 10% off a new smart doorbell, security camera, or smart lock for recycling any of these devices
- Eva NYC: recycle hair tools and appliances from Eva NYC brand and receive 100 TerraCycle points per pound (see details)
- Office Depot: recycle electronics and ink cartridges
- recycle electronic items and receive store credit based on value of items
- recycle ink cartridges and receive rewards based on the number of items returned (see details)
- Staples: recycle electronics, rechargeable batteries, and ink and toner cartridges
- receive $2 in rewards per ink and toner cartridge returned (see details)
Sell or Trade In Old Electronics
Recycling Computers for Cash and Trading In for Credit
Of course, just because you stopped using your old electronics doesn’t always mean that they don’t still have usable life left in them. You may be able to sell electronics that are no longer used for cash or for store credits.
These e-waste recycling for cash options are great when you are ready to upgrade your devices and would like to clear out old tech products that are still in usable condition. Many places can provide instant online quote estimates for your electronics — it’s never been easier to recycle old cell phones for cash (plus cameras, TVs, drones, and more)!
- Adorama: recycle photography and video equipment, computers, audio gear, musical instruments, optics, drones, + more and receive store credit based on value of items
- Amazon: recycle small consumer electronics and receive store credit based on value of items (see details)
- Apple: recycle any products from Apple brand and receive store credit based on value of items
- AT&T: recycle small consumer electronics and receive store credit based on value of items
- B&H: recycle camera and camera gear and receive cash or store credit based on value of items
- decluttr: recycle books, CDs, DVDs, consoles, video games, cell phones, tech products and receive cash payment based on value of items
- Dell: recycle computer hardware and peripherals from any brand and receive store credit based on value of items (see details)
- GameStop: recycle electronics and games and receive cash or store credit based on value of items
- PowerUp Rewards Pro Members get 10% extra in value on most items
- Gazelle: recycle electronics and receive cash based on value of items
- gizmogo: recycle cameras and electronics and receive cash based on value of items
- HP: recycle electronics and other items from HP brand and receive store credit based on value of items
- Microsoft: recycle tablets, phones, laptops, and game consoles and receive cash based on value of trade ins (see details)
- Sprint / T-Mobile: recycle electronic devices and receive store credit based on value of items
- note that this program may change as Sprint and T-Mobile companies are merging
- Verizon: recycle phones, tablets, and wearable tech and receive store credit based on value of items (see details)
- Walmart: recycle electronics from any brand and receive gift cards based on value of items (see details)
Free Electronic Recycling
Free Electronic Recycling
While no points or monetary incentives are given with these free electronic recycling programs, you can rest easy knowing that your e-waste does not end up in landfills or polluting the environment. These free e-waste recycling programs are open to everyone, plus the programs have recycle electronics locations across the US!
- Batteries Plus: recycle batteries, lighting, and small electronics (availability varies by store)
- Canon: recycle ink cartridges from Canon brand
- Epson: recycle hardware from Epson brand in end-of-life condition (see details)
- Epson supports a free-of-charge toner cartridge collection program for its AcuLaser CX11N Series cartridges
- Home Depot: recycle batteries, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, plastic bags, and plastic plant pots in most stores
- Lowe’s: recycle batteries, CFL bulbs, plastic bags, plastic plant pots, and cell phones in most stores (see details)
- Samsung: recycle small electronic devices from any brand (see details)
- Samsung brand products up to 50 pounds may also be mailed in for free recycling via OEM Takeback
- Sony: recycle electronic products and batteries from Sony brand (see details)
- Xerox: recycle copy and print supplies from Xerox brand
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In addition to all the great places where you can be rewarded for recycling electronic waste items, be sure to check out more places where you can earn rewards for recycling:
Vintage Electronic Radios on Shelf
Thank you for sharing and saving!
Hi, Alyce.
Wow! Am I glad I stumbled across your post. I have various types of electric devices that are just sitting around my place and I have been wondering how I can get rid of them. An, hey, if I can make a few dollars in the process, so much the better.
I’ll have to check Best Buy Canada and see if they have the same thing going on as you do in the States. I think they probably do. It would certainly be worth checking it out.
Staples, Dell, Walmart, Samsung and more are all here in Canada. There are just so many ways to get rid of our old technology that I didn’t know about.
Thank you for making up this list (I’m betting there are more). I am definitely going to check out some of these. Recycling has come a long way and we need to do our part to improve our environmental footprint.
If I might add one note. Anyone wanting to recycle their old electronics should make sure they delete all sensitive files and information from them before handing them over.
Thanks again, Alyce.
Wayne
Hi Wayne, you bring up a good point about taking care of sensitive data on old devices. Fortunately, many of the recyclers will wipe all personal data before recycling the devices!
I always feel like if I bring my old device back to the same company, they are just gonna screw me over and pay me pennies for some tech that is worth way more. On the other hand, I would probably forget it, or have it collect dust somewhere in my house so I guess this is the better alternative.
Hi Ibrahim, It’s probably best to shop around to get the top dollar for your old devices to get the best deal. Fortunately, you can see that you have a lot of options to choose from, and the competition should help ensure that you get a great price for your old device!
This article awakens me. I have not disposed of any electronic items over 25 years and they are all lying in my basement. I was worried about mother earth.
Now the knowledge from this article will help me dispose of with or without benefits all my stuff.
What a wonderful thought expressed in this article with benefits. I am sure it is a lot of research done to put it together. This site will help everyone. Thank you.
Hi Anusuya, I believe you are in good company. There are many of us who have been holding on to old electronics in order to safeguard our data and find ways to dispose of these items properly. I’m glad this helps!
The recycling process actually makes it very convenient for all of us. I heard from my friend that the Amazon Trade-In Program offers gift cards in exchange for eligible items from customers. This is really a wonderful way. Because things can play a good role in some updates. This method is very convenient we can easily adapt this method.
Thank you for sharing good information.
I’m glad to hear that your friend has used the Amazon program with success!
Your blog on Best Reward Program, Recycle Your Electronic Waste & Earn Rewards is an eyeopener for me as it enlightened me that a lot of companies, big ones are giving schemes to recycle electronic products and it’s shocking that the production of electronic gadgets, etc. double every year as per Moore’s Law! the problem is exacerbated by how soon an electronic item gets obsolete or outdated… Companies like Apple, Walmart, Amazon, Dell, HP, and dozens more are giving different sort of scheme for people who are selling the old gadgets for recycling in exchange for monetary considerations, discounts, gift vouchers, discounts and points which lead to a cheaper purchase of new one. A great win-win strategy for companies and consumers.
Sometime people need a little push to help them do the right thing like safely dispose of electronic waste… these programs can only help!