Once I put the garden to bed in November, I start to see my house in a new light. I love this house, but this year it needs a super “de-cluttering.” We aren’t talking about simply re-arranging the pantry which I do every, single year–we are talking cleaning out the closets. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting a series on how to dispose of certain items you no longer want and how to keep them out of the landfill. This post focuses on how to get rid of old electronics. Did you realize that you could donate, giveaway or sell them?
Old Electronics, Who Need a New Life.
I chuckled every time I found old electronics in my drawers. Anything, you buy, seems to be antiquated within six months.
Or my kids break something and the particular electronic lays in the drawer, somehow to be found on day.
So, what did I find in those old drawers?
- A Mp3 player attachment that enables you to hook your Mp3 into your car stereo. Does anyone use a Mp3 player anymore?
- Old smartphones that we are never going to use again.
- Broken earphones. (I own stock in ear phone companies since my kids break them like twigs.)
Items that were simply collecting dust:
- A 10-year-old computer with Windows XP, which is slower than molasses.
- A 45-year-old stereo equipment that still works with huge 70-ish speakers.
- A 15-year-old HEPA filter whose motor died. I was just kidding myself thinking I was super handy, and I could fix it.
- Old huge TV sets. (Yeah, the ones that need three people to move them.)
Most people would simply throw away these items thinking who in their right mind could re-use or re-purpose them. But here is the rub.
Sending electronic equipment to a landfill is hazardous to our environment.
According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,
“Electronic products are made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.”
So, what can you do to get rid of old electronics and be kind to the environment as well? (In fact, you might be able to make some dough too.)
Freecycle Your Old Electronics.
You can’t imagine how many people love your old stuff. Why throw it out if someone else can use it? I put my items on Freecycle. With the exception of the old TVs, there were at least 3 to 10 people asking for my old stuff.
I was sad that the TVs were recycled since they worked. No one seems to want old TVs.
Facebook Groups for Buying and Selling.
So, you thought Facebook was simply for keeping in touch with family and friends? Think again!
In my area, there are several neighborhood Facebook groups for buying and selling your unwanted stuff. I even sold my squashes and blackberry plants in these groups.
Plus, you never know who you meet. I found some like minded people to connect with. One person sells her organic eggs!
So, how can you find some groups to sell your unwanted stuff? I started searching for groups under my county in the search bar at the top of Facebook. Once I found a group, I noticed that Facebook suggested several other groups similar to a buy/sell group in my area.
I didn’t realize that there were groups right in my town!
If you can’t find a group, you can start your own.
Sell Them.
Did you know that you can sell your old electronics. There is a myriad of places to sell your cell phones and laptops. Listed below are some companies that specialize in buying cell phones and other electronics:
Be sure to check out all of their pricing before choosing a company. Believe me, the pricing from one company to the other is not the same. (Look out for a post on selling my phones.) Check out my detailed post on the do’s and don’t of selling your electronics.
Donate your Electronics.
Schools and not for profits can use your computers, laptop, printers, and software. In the past, I have donated speakers, printers, and other electronic equipment to my local school.
However, if your local schools and religious organizations do not need the equipment, then you can find a nearby match of an organization that can use it. Simply search via your zip code on the National Cristina Foundation website.
In New Jersey, Electronic Access Foundation refurbishes and redistributes computers and other electronic equipment to those in need. (Watch the video above about what they do.)
To find other organizations like this, search HERE. (This site is run by the National Cristina Foundation.)
Best Buy Takes Mostly Everything with a Cord.
Recycling gift cards, electronics, rechargeable batteries and more at Best Buy
I adore their recycling center. They take back old electronics, gift cards, CDs, etc. Read more HERE. In fact, they take back anything with a cord. (Be sure to check your local Best Buy on what they do and do not take back. Each store is different.)
Recycle Your Electronics.
My last resort is to recycle items that no one wants. I could have recycled my old televisions with Best Buy but instead I took them to my county recycling.
If you are looking for a nearby electronic recycle company, see HERE or check what your county recycling will take. Make sure, your recycling company is a responsible recycler. No one wants their electronic equipment to end up in a landfill in China.
Join the Conversation.
How do you get rid of old electronics?
Jenny B says
I haven’t been to a Best Buy in forever, I didn’t know they had those bins!
I sell a ton of things on local FB groups! Made nearly $100 toward Christmas gifts just selling stuff around my house!
Green Bean says
I’m with Jenny! I had no idea about the Best Buy bins. Those sounds like a great bet for the cords that crop up and no one remembers what they go to. We’ve free cycled and sold before too.
Anna@Green Talk says
Green Bean, which cords can you get money for? Anna
Micaela @MindfulMomma says
Funny – my husband just went through a drawer of extra power cords etc…from old electronics and was wondering where to bring them. I wonder if Best Buy takes that stuff.
Anna@Green Talk says
Micaela, they do take cords in my area. You can go on their site and put in your location to see what they take. Anna
Elizabeth L says
Micaela @MindfulMomma ,
Just wanted to let everybody know that you our organization, GeekLocker.Org takes unwanted electronics, cords, geeky toys, etc. Basically anything that BestBuy would sell.. so they don’t end up in landfills. We resell them in our online store and all proceeds benefit kids who have been bullied. It’s a great program!
Anna@Green Talk says
Elizabeth, great comment. Thanks for sharing. Anna
Lynn Hasselberger says
Great information! It can be so confusing to figure out how and where to recycle some of this stuff!
Betsy (Eco-novice) says
Such a perfect topic for after the holidays when many people got new electronics. I was so excited to learn about Green Citizen in my area (bay area) from Plastic-free Beth. They take EVERYTHING!
Anna@Green Talk says
Is Green Citizen only in your area? Anna
Anna says
Awesome post. I give my old electronics stuff to my family. They love it and I know that the device will get used for many more years.
Renee Kohley says
Ohh! These are great ideas! I have a few sitting down in the basement just collecting dust. Thank you!
Jennifer Margulis says
Very timely post. We have a stuffed electronics drawer that we need to go through, and a stereo out on the street which we’re hoping someone will take off our hands…
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
That’s cool about Best Buy, I haven’t been there in years, so I had no idea. This is really great and so important. The natural foods co-op I shop at takes old batteries and lightbulbs, so that’s nice. I have to look up some of these places to get rid of some of the other electronics sitting around waiting to be recycled. Thanks!
Megan Stevens says
Really helpful information, thanks! We tend to donate ours or bring them to Schnitzer recycling.
linda spiker says
Great ideas! Pinning.
Chloe @ How We Flourish says
Thanks for the resources and ideas! We don’t have too much lying around the house, but I’ll definitely keep this post in mind when we need to get rid of stuff.
Liz says
Thanks for the recycling info! I have much of the same stuff laying around the house.
computer recycling says
If your gadgets are very old or it’s too broken to donate then it is always better to recycle it. Computer recycling is a very much common and it’s a profitable business concept. Unfortunately, there are many recyclers who do not perform their task. They simply dump your gadgets in the developing nations, which is not a good idea. But there are lots of good companies as well who recycle the products.
Veronika says
I like to use Facebook pages to sell my old stuff. It seems to be so much quicker than selling on classified ads. Great suggestions here, thanks for some great ideas!
Anna@Green Talk says
Veronika, I have been doing that as well in several facebook swapping groups.
gökhan Değirmenci says
After noticing this article, I realized that I’ve always usually donated my old electronics to family. Occasionally I’ll sell them when they don’t have a need for them.
Reading your stats on how many electronic devices end up in landfills is pretty saddening. We can get so much more use out of the materials found in computers, cell phones, etc. if we just pay attention and recycle properly.
EMILY says
Hey Anna,
Great info about recycling!
I also find facebook to be a good place to sell stuff.
Thanks
Emily
The Multimeter Guide says
Nice post Anna. I just want to expand on your schools suggestion. There are main training organizations that train people how to do things like soldering and how electronic circuits work. I’m sure they would love to disassemble your old electronics!
Anna@Green Talk says
Is there a list of those organizations? Anna
Jessica says
Great writeup Anna.
It is staggering how many electronics with destructive componenets, especially batteries, end up in landfills causing environmental problems. I hope that more people start using the services you listed, or mine, to start recycling this harmful e-waste.
larissa says
Super green information! It is always great to know just what you can do with old electronics. The best part of knowing how to get rid of these electronics is the appeal of earning a few dollars for something that would otherwise have no worth. Earning a little extra cash on the side is always a plus side, but more so, keeping the environment clean is of utmost importance. Thanks for the useful tips.
Anna@Green Talk says
Absolutely, Larissa.
Aodhan: Waste management says
In Australia anyway, under the ewaste scheme, you should be able to drop of electronic waste at council facilities for free.
Blake says
For old electronics – have a chat to your school as they are always approached by other organizations looking for older electronics , so your local school will have plenty of contacts if not be able to use the stuff themselves.
We dropped off a heap of things at our local school the other day and they were extremely grateful for it.
Christina says
Non-profits seem like a good source as well, especially for those looking to donate computers to people without the means to purchase one. It’s good to hear you got as much feedback as you did with “freecycle,” since that is another useful way to give to those who may not have the means to get it themselves.
Brian says
Donating your electronics is a great way to get rid of them. I always bring my old stuff to goodwill or a thrift store and they are always happy to take them. Thanks for sharing!
Vincent says
Hi Anna, great recommendations. Definitely, have stuff laying around for some time. Thanks 🙂
Brett says
I just recently took a course on sustainable entrepreneurship and what I’ve learned is just recently we are now focusing on turning around these old bad habits. And because of the tech craze there are hundreds of thousands of these old electronics being improperly disposed of. Thanks for helping to get the word out!
McKenzie says
Great tips and ideas! It is crazy how technology is outdated so quickly now. Thank you for reminded us to be green when getting rid of this kind of stuff.
Selene says
Great post, selling your old devices to a store is a great option and you can also use them to go towards purchasing a new device! Both are great ways to go green and also help yourself out a little as well! Thanks for sharing.
Jade L says
You’ve given awesome list with the most appropriate things to do with the old electronics. If we strive to collect less waste, we’ll save a lot of worries to the environment and for ourselves.
Penelope Smith says
I liked that you explained that some big chain stores will take most cords. That is good for me to know because I am trying to get rid of my grandmothers older electronics. It might be smart for me to see if I can sell any of them that aren’t too terribly old.
shaon says
You somehow get your old electronics over to a local electronic waste recycler but if you are concerned about your data than I would suggest the removal of the computer’s hard drive before recycling the whole computer. As for the other old electronics just ask yourself if you think there might be some stored personal information within them, if not, then any local electronic recycler will do.