There’s no real reason to throw away old laptops, desktops and printers when there are so many ways to responsibly recycle them for free and sometimes even for store credit. In some states, including California, throwing them away is actually illegal and can draw large fines. And disposing of such items can be as simple as bringing them to major retailers such as Best Buy, OfficeMax, Office Depot and Staples.Â
It’s a necessary habit to get into, as well. According to a new UN report, consumers around the world are throwing away about five times more gadgets than are being recycled.Â
Read more:Â Why Our Gadgets Aren’t Getting Recycled Enough, and How You Can Help
Wherever you choose to take or mail in your items to be recycled, you’ll want to make sure that you protect your data by removing it as best you can before you do so. One way to do this is to perform a factory reset on your computer. Our guide talks you through the process.
Some retail stores will accept computers and printers for recycling, but it’s not always a free service. Policies vary by company.
AppleÂ
You can recycle your old Apple computers, monitors and peripherals such as printers for free at an Apple Store, but there’s a costly catch. According to the Apple Free Recycling program, in order to receive this service, you must also purchase a qualifying Apple computer or monitor. Need another option? A third-party company called Gazelle buys old MacBooks to recycle them. After accepting Gazelle’s offer, you print out a prepaid label or request a prepaid box and ship the machine to them.
Read more: Phone and Laptop Repair Is Going Mainstream, With a Big Push From iFixit
Best Buy
Best Buy generally accepts up to three household items per person per day to be recycled for free, and that includes desktop computers and printers, as well as other items, ranging from e-readers to vacuum cleaners. While three is the limit for most items, there’s a higher standard for laptops — Best Buy will take five of…
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