Old Electronics » Recycle
"Only a small percentage of these products make it to e-waste recyclers. Perhaps the most egregious practice is the export of e-waste to workers in the developing world. There, the valuable commodities are stripped from the products and processed using primitive methods. These practices endanger people's health and pollute the areas where they live."- Rep. Bart Gordon
Based on recent conversations with e-waste experts from Greenpeace and the Electronics Takeback Coalition, there are three paths to recycling your old electronics that Measy feels comfortable recommending:
Best: Electronics Takeback Coalition approved
Find local recyclers that have signed a Pledge of True Stewardship which includes rigorous criteria for responsible and transparent recycling.
Second: Best Buy
Unlike most other big box stores offering recycling, Best Buy now publishes a list of all the recyclers they work with. This doesn't guarantee that electronics you drop off there won't ever be shipped overseas, but it does introduce a welcome level of transparency and accountability into the process. Find a Best Buy in your area here.
Third: Manufacturer Takeback Programs
Manufacturer programs vary wildly in quality and coverage, and a number of manufactuers still don't offer recycling. You can find links to manufacturers with programs below.:
- Acer
- Apple
- Asus
- Canon
- Dell
- Gateway
- HP
- Insignia
- JVC
- Lenovo
- LG
- Mitsubishi
- Olympus
- Panasonic
- Ricoh
- Samsung
- Sharp
- Sony
- Toshiba
Manufacturers with no recycling program:
- Casio
- Fujifilm
- Kodak
- MSI
- Nikon
- NuVision
- Pentax
- Pioneer
- Sigma
- Vizio
- Westinghouse
