The Technology Recycling Bin

Filed in archive Green Business on October 8, 2009

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Don't look now, but your new phone is probably already outdated by a prettier, faster service. With so many better options created all the time, most of us just toss our old laptop or mobile and buy a new one. A BCC article says that most people will buy a new gadget if the cost of repairing is more than fifty percent of the cost of a new one.

No surprise there. If we plan to spend the money and fixing it costs too much, might as well get a new one, right? But what happens to those discarded or broken tech tools that we so quickly leave behind? Most gadgets get trashed with out another thought.

Of course there are alternatives to just throwing away our old toys. We can recycle them instead. In tech there are two kind of recycling: the traditional kind we think of with cans and plastics, where the gadget is taken apart and its bits used in other things, or the donation kind of recycling.

Some companies will take back old phones and reuse the pieces inside, in return they will discount your next purchase. The best way to find out about this kind of recycling is to contact your service provider.

If your phone isn't broken, or only has mild defects you can often donate it to just about any nearby church or charity. Even schools will often take used desktops. In a world with a higher demand for technology, the places with low budgets will take whatever help they can. These donations are always highly appreciated.

Finally, you can mail in old electrons for money that can then be donated through services like Fonebak, a British service that works with the BBC Children in Need. They will value your old phone, provide freepost service and then send you a check. You can donate all or part of the worth of your phone, or be selfish and keep it.

So don't be afraid of getting a new, shiny gadget. Just make sure to recycle or giveback your old ones!

What do you do with old or broken technology?