Green Disposal: Recycle Your Old Computers and Printers for Free
Do you have an old one? laptop, desktop or printer Does that take up space? There are many simple and sustainable ways to deal with it. Some locations will even give you store credit for recycling old tech.
Disposing of these items can be as simple as taking them to major retailers like Best Buy, Office Depot, and Staples, while throwing away old devices is actually illegal and can be punished in some states, including California. Imposition of huge fines.
This is also a necessary habit. according to a postpone Reports published earlier this year revealed that people around the world throw away around five times more gadgets than they recycle.
Here’s what you need to know about recycling old technology.
Read more: Why our gadgets aren’t recycled enough and how you can help
What to do before recycling your computer
No matter where you choose to take or mail your items for recycling, you need to delete them wherever possible before doing so to ensure your data is protected. One method is to perform a factory reset on your computer. our guide Guide you through the entire process.
Retailers that recycle computers and printers
Some retail stores will accept computers and printers for recycling, but this is not always a free service. Policies vary by company.
apple
You can recycle your old Apple computers, monitor Apple stores offer peripherals like printers for free, but there’s a costly problem. according to Apple free recycling plan, in order to receive this service you must also purchase a qualifying Apple Computer or monitoring. Need another option? A third-party company called Gazelle Buy an old MacBook Recycle them. Once you accept Gazelle’s quote, you can print a prepaid label or request a prepaid box and have the machine shipped to them.
Read more: Phone and laptop repairs are becoming mainstream, driven by iFixit
best buy
Best Buy usually accepts the most Three household items Recycling is free per person per day and includes desktop computers and printers as well as other items including e-reader arrive Vacuum cleaner. While the limit is three for most items, laptops are set to a higher standard — Best Buy will limit purchases to five per household per day. Note that rules for discarding monitors vary by state and are not always free.
Best Buy also offers Mail-in recycling service For selected projects, but this isn’t free either. A small box that holds 6 pounds costs $23, while a large box (up to 15 pounds) costs $30.
Office Depot and OfficeMax
Office Depot and OfficeMax merged in 2013. Retailer offers Technology trade-in Programs are available in-store and online where customers can trade in old computers and printers for store gift cards. If the device has no trade-in value, the company will recycle it for free.
Office Depot also sells its own tech recycling bins that you can fill with electronics for recycling and drop them off at the store, but they’re not free. this Small box sells for $8.39 and can hold up to 20 pounds; this Medium for $18.29 and can hold up to 40 pounds; and Big cost $28 And can bear 60 pounds of weight.
Staples
You can bring your old desktop computers, laptops, printers, and more to a Staples checkout for free recycling, even if they weren’t purchased there. The retailer also launched a new free household battery recycling bin, which a representative said allowed customers to recycle thousands of batteries per week, up from the previous average of 50 batteries per week. this is a list All items recyclable at Staples.
Read more: How to factory reset your MacBook, Windows laptop or Chromebook
How to find a technology recycling center
If you don’t live near a large retailer or prefer to take your computer and printer to a recycling center, you can use the search tool provided by Earth911 and the Consumer Technology Association to find a location closer to you.
Earth 911
use Recycling center search function Find a recycling center near your zip code that accepts laptops, desktops and printers on Earth911. Please note that the results may also appear to have some acceptance cell phone Not a computer or printer, so you may need to do some filtering.
CTA’s eco-friendly gadgets
Ask the Consumer Technology Association about green gadgets recycling locator Find a local recycling center in your area that can recycle old items. The search function also allows you to filter the results to find where computers and printers are needed separately.
