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Recycle your old electronics
Published: August 5, 2016
Smart lawyers don’t do dumb things, right? Like throwing old electronics (cell phones, laptops, printers, etc.) into the garbage.
Of course not. Smart lawyers are cognizant that a U.N. study showed that 12 pounds of electronic waste for every person on earth, or almost 42 million metric tons of the stuff, went into landfills in 2014. Some of that material is poisonous. And much of it is simply recyclable.
Smart thing is to recycle your electronics.
Lawyers turn over electronic components and materiel as much as anyone, and so can lead the way in electronic recycling. So here is a brief guide on how to do so, thanks to thewirecutter.com.
First and foremost, back up and then wipe all data clean from your phone, computer, etc. Each device’s manufacturer should have instruction somewhere on how to do that.
The best way to recycle it then is to trade it in (if possible), or to sell it. Some companies will allow a cell phone trade-in, and there are smaller companies around that will do a trade in on used laptops or other computers.
To sell it outright, post on Craigslist or eBay, to start with. Gazelle is a middleman site for used electronics, and there are numerous other web sites that will buy or broker your old gear.
If your equipment has no market value, then there are many ways to simply recycle it. Apple has a recycling program for its products, and will also take in some other manufacturers’ electronics. If the object has any value, you’ll get a gift card; otherwise, free recycling. Apple also partners with Sims Recycling for valueless electronic objects under 70 pounds, with free shipping.
Best Buy has several recycling programs, including kiosks at store entrances for some objects, and the customer service window there will take in some larger electronics with certain restrictions.
And Staples has a limited number of objects that it will take in, with some of them eligible for trade-in store credit.
However you do it, please consider recycling old electronics, rather than throwing them in the trash or taking them to a dump. Your children’s children will thank you.