Costco Exchange Program

In its effort to become a leader in electronics recycling, Costco has partnered with Gazelle.com. Gazelle is a leader in the online electronics reuse and recycling business. What you need to do is fill out an online form on the Gazelle website about the electronic equipment you are recycling. Gazelle will give you a quote for your item, and if you agree, you can print a free shipping label online. They’ll even send you packing material for shipping your old electronics. As long as the value of your device is at least one dollar, shipping is free. If they determine that your electronics have no resale value, they will recycle them responsibly and free of charge. Right now they recycle laptops, cell phones, LCD monitors, MP3 players, digital cameras, and gaming systems. They do not recycle faxes, printers and televisions at this time. The recycling service is only available to members.

best buys

Best Buys has a well-organized recycling page on its website. They have set the highest standard for responsible recycling and these standards are posted where the public can easily see and read them. They recycle a wide range of electronic equipment such as televisions up to 32 inches in size, cell phones, monitors, DVDs, laptops, etc. There’s a $10 charge for TVs, monitors, and laptops, but Best Buys will do that. give you a $10 gift card to make up for that. They accept desktop computers without the hard drive or can remove it for a fee of $19.99.

For large electronics like TVs over 32 inches and refrigerators, they have a shuttle service. All Best Buys stores have a recycling kiosk by the front door where you can drop off ink cartridges, smartphones, CDs, DVDs, batteries, cell phones and Best Buys gift cards. You may bring up to 2 items per day per household.

Best Buys has a trade-in program for gently used electronics. The procedure for an exchange is very clearly written step by step on their website. You can take your used electronic device to a store or send your stuff through the mail. You will receive a Best Buy gift card for your device. For in-store trading, they only accept certain items, such as Apple laptops, iPods, laptops, and mobile phones. They take much more electronic equipment with their online exchange programs. For the online transaction, you will receive a gift card within 14 days.

For TVs larger than 32 inches, they have a free shipping service if you buy a replacement set. You can get large TVs and refrigerators for a fee if you didn’t make a purchase.

staples

Office technology recycling

The Staples website states that you simply bring your old office electronics and accessories to any Staple store for recycling. All brands of office technology are accepted, regardless of whether it was purchased from Staples. Dell branded office technology is accepted free of charge. All other brands of office technology such as laptops, desktops, printers, scanners, faxes, etc. are charged $10. Staples has a wonderful ink cartridge recycling program where you take up to 10 empty ink cartridges and get paid $3 per cartridge per calendar month per customer.

Personal Electronic Recycling

Staples recycles used electronics for free through Collective Good, a nonprofit organization that donates used electronics to charity. Devices such as cell phones, PDAs, pagers, and chargers are recycled free of charge. Staples also recycles rechargeable batteries in cooperation with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.

conclusion

Which of these three electronics vendors has the best recycling policy? The answer is very clearly Best Buys. Their website has a well-organized recycling page that is easy to understand and use. Their commitment to recycling is shown and reflected in the standard they have posted on their page. They recycle a wide range of electronic equipment, including bulky ones like refrigerators and old computers, mostly for free. They have an online and in-store trade-in program for gently used electronics for which you get a Best Buys gift card.

Costco has a good point in that you can trade in your unwanted electronics for a Costco gift card. But they don’t recycle bulky electronics like TVs and printers. The good thing about Staples is that they recycle a much wider range of electronic equipment and you don’t have to buy it at a convenience store. And it is convenient to recycle with staples because you can take it to any of their stores.