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Recycling that pays -- literally
A handful of entrepreneurs have created services that pay you to keep your electronics out of the landfill.
Thu, Jun 18 2009 at 1:42 PM
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NO WASTE-E: Keep your electronics out of the garbage -- and earn money, too -- with companies like Gazelle and GreenPhone.com. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Ever wonder why certain municipalities or companies charge you a fee when agreeing to recycle your electronic devices? I mean, you paid for them and the products still have value. So why should you have to pay to have them properly disposed? I think we all deserve to be paid for our electronics when we’re ready to part with them. Fortunately, so do a handful of entrepreneurs who have created services that do just that, i.e. pay you to recycle.
Instead of contributing to the already challenging problem of e-waste by tossing your used electronics into the regular trash -- which eventually ends up in a landfill -- turn to a company like Gazelle. Simple search menus on the company’s website inform visitors of the residual market value of their desktop computers, laptops, digital cameras and other devices. Gazelle then sends you a prepaid postage box in which to ship your product back to the company. Once you send in your products and their condition is verified, Gazelle will mail you a check. It’s that simple.
A similar Recycle philosophy fuels GreenPhone.com. The site tells you how much your cell phone or PDA model is worth and then allows you to mail it in for cash. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that across the United States, more than 500 million old cell phones languish in desk drawers and other storage spots. Disposing of these devices properly is of vital environmental concern since the devices contain hazardous chemicals like arsenic and lead that can be released into the atmosphere, soil and groundwater.
GreenPhone.com allows you to protect the environment while earning a little spending money — never a bad thing. And if you’re feeling more virtuous, visit GreenPhone.com’s sister site, CollectiveGood.com, which offers the same service and donates your proceeds to charity. Or visit CellPhonesForSoldiers.com, an organization that collects and recycles used cell phone and uses the proceeds to pay for calling cards that it gives to soldier serving overseas so they can connect with friends and family members back home.
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Excerpted from Josh's latest book, "The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget."
(MNN homepage photo: Bunhill/iStockphoto)
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I thought you might be interested in checking out http://earthshare.myboneyard.com/
EarthShare's recycling partner, My Boneyard, is really simple to use (you just print out a shipping label), and you and the environment will benefit from your recycling efforts.
Thank you for informing me of these things! I always knew there was a better way to recycle my old electronics. I've gotten a few good ideas from www.Greenwala.com about recycling other things such as old lightbulbs, turning old t-shirts into cute bags and even learned about a company called Recyclebank http://tinyurl.com/mjy538 that pays customers in credits towards stores such as Whole Foods and Petco for how much they recycle!
Our company, Green Diva Jewelry, also gives customers either Diva Dollars or a large coupon toward eco-friendly jewelry for recycling their cell phone with us. We use 100% recycled metals, so the topic of e-waste is of grave concern to us. (We go through Collective Good/Earthworks, so that all proceeds benefit environmental non-profits). www.greendivajewelry.com/recycle_my_cell_phone
New companies are coming up with great ways to recycle products. If it's made it should be able to be unmade and reused.
For green building education and consulting services: http://www.cleanedison.com