Today I Learned That Amazon Will Recycle Small Electronics For Free

If you have a flip phone that you haven’t used in over a decade, or maybe even a broken tablet, Amazon will pay for a shipping label that you use to send it to be recycled. can. Apparently, this recycling program has been around for a while, but many of us ledge Didn’t even know about it until we saw it Journalist Dave Zatzow’s TweetAnd thought it might be a good idea to spread the word.

Amazon’s recycling program lets you pick up your small electronics free of charge from any UPS dropoff point (you just have to provide the packaging). Amazon then transfers the received devices to a licensed recycling facility, and notes that it will remove or destroy any “identifying marks or personal information” during the process. Amazon still recommends doing a factory reset on your device before sending it (if it still works).

According to Amazon spokesman Saez Kolpak, the company’s recycling program isn’t new — it’s actually been “for years” and Amazon relaunched a new page in April to make it easier for customers to find. This is not to be confused with Amazon’s trade-in program, which lets you send in Amazon devices, cellphones, video games, and other electronics in exchange for Amazon gift cards. You get nothing in return for sending the equipment for recycling, other than the personal satisfaction that you’re doing a small part in helping the environment.

The program is limited to small electronics only. You can find a list of all approved devices if you click through to Amazon’s recycling page (which is still fully functional, despite something you might see on the web in 2005). This includes e-readers, tablets, keyboards, mice, video game consoles, device covers, cell phones, fitness trackers, smart home devices, and more. It accepts any small appliance you can fit in a small box or envelope—broken or not—as long as they don’t have a “swollen or leaking battery.”

I’m already looking to recycle some devices around my house for free—the kind of mini speaker I thought at the time would be a great buy from Dollar General (don’t judge). And since I already have a stack of shipping boxes from my previous online purchases, I can double and recycle it. plus Device.

But if you’re not a hoarder of cardboard boxes and don’t want to pay for your own shipping materials, it’s worth noting that you can always bring your older, smaller electronics to your local Best Buy. Here, you can drop off and recycle up to three items per day for free (or for a $29.99 fee for TVs and monitors). Best Buy will also remove your old devices for $39.99 if you order a replacement through the retailer. Alternatively, you can also pay Best Buy $199 to come to your home to pick up two larger items (like a TV or washer) without ordering a new one, in addition to an unlimited number of smaller electronics.