What to do with Old Electronics

Thinking of treating yourself to a new laptop this holiday season? Well, what are you going to do with your old electronics? Responsibly recycle them, of course! Rather than dumping them in a trash can and having them end up in a landfill, there are several other options.

1. Donate Them

If your electronics still work, there are many charities out there that would love to give your tablet to someone who could really use it! Check with your local schools to see if they are in need of any computers, or check out this list of organizations that you can connect with: 

1. americancellphonedrive.org This organization either donates or recycles your used cell phone, depending on the age and working condition. They even provide you with a prepaid shipping label for three phones or more.
2. ebay for Charity That's right, you can sell your electronics on ebay and select which charity your profits go to. This allows you to help out a charity of your choice, even one that is not directly connected to recycling old electronics.

2. Turn Them in to an Electronics Company

There are plenty of well-known electronics companies that will take your old gadgets and refurbish them or responsibly recycle them for you. Some of them even offer discounts on new products when you turn in your old gear.

1. Apple Renew and Recycling You can take your old Apple products into any Apple store an they will responsibly recycle them for you (and sometimes you can get up to 10% off towards your new iPod). You can also start the process online and they'll email you a prepaid shipping label. 
2. Best Buy You can bring in any number of electronics into your local Best Buy location and they will take care of the rest. They do have some restrictions on how many items a household can recycle on a given day, so double check their website before heading to the store.
3. EPA Electronics Donation and Recycling The EPA has compiled a large list of electronics companies that either donate or recycle your old gadgets.

3. Drop them off at with Local Recycler

Call2Recycle is a well-known non-profit organization that has drop-off locations dotted across the U.S. where you can take your old batteries and cell phones.