Are you one of the many out there who has some old electronics lying around? Perhaps an old gaming system you never use, an old flip phone covered in gems, or dare I say it, *gasp* an old beige desktop PC? For many households, these items become “outdated” rather quickly, and often stick around somewhere gathering dust, never to be used again. Today, with the help of many companies, you can recycle and donate your old gadgets. Some of these companies will clean up and resell the items, taking 100% of the profits and putting them into various charities, while others will actually refurbish the devices if possible, putting them in the hands of those in need, such as schools with little-to-no technology programs or budgets, to third world communities who really need the technology but can’t afford it.
So where can you go to donate your used tech toys? There are many resources, such as eBay’s Rethink Initiative / eBay Giving Works, which acts as a directory of resources for you to donate or recycle your gear. Others include Reconnect, a collaboration between Dell and Goodwill, that accepts items in any condition, and is as simple as dropping the items off to a local participating goodwill location. Check out the links at the bottom of this article for even more places to choose from.
Recycling or donating your gadgets is a great way to help others in need, and maybe even help clean up some more space around the house. Of course, for those wondering, there are often tax benefits and write-off’s as well if needed. Don’t forget, if donating pc’s, laptop’s, or cell phones, to be sure to delete and remove all personal or sensitive data from your device’s as well.
The next time you think to toss out that old ipod or personal dvd player, make sure to recycle or donate. You’ll save landfill space, and perhaps help someone less fortunate who could really use it.
Links:
http://www.recyclingforcharities.com/index.php
http://reconnectpartnership.com/whoweare.php
Credit:
http://inhabit.com
http://mashable.com/2010/04/29/donating-electronics/
