June 2, 2008 10:47 AM PDT

Best Buy to recycle electronics for free

by Erica Ogg
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Best Buy

If you live near one of 117 Best Buy stores and are desperately in need of unloading your rusty, broken-down gadgets, you're in luck.

Beginning Sunday, Best Buy began allowing customers to bring two items per household per day into some stores in Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota for free. But if you're looking to unload that mammoth front-projection TV--not so fast, there are some restrictions.

recyclable electronics

Unclutter your life--for free--courtesy of Best Buy.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET Networks)

Best Buy says they will take computers, phones, cameras, PC peripherals, and more, but only TVs and monitors smaller than 32 inches diagonal. TVs larger than that, as well as air conditioners, microwaves, and large household appliances, aren't eligible.

Cost is often an issue for recycling programs. Almost all states have electronic waste recycling laws, and most of them put the cost burden on the manufacturer or retailer that actually does the recycling. That's why though other electronics retailers have programs to take back undesired electronics and PCs, there's often a fee for their trouble.

Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica.
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by BenFlavoredCandy June 2, 2008 11:42 AM PDT
Circuit City has partnered with a company that will actually "pay" you for your old electronics. Granted they pay you in CC gift cards, but who doesn't want one of those?
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by danimal5 August 23, 2008 7:28 AM PDT
I agree, I would much rather have a gift card than nothing. What a great idea!
by ricominc August 6, 2009 3:56 PM PDT
Computer Buyback and Recycling Programs aid in reducing the amount of electronics in landfills by refurbishing for reuse or by safely recycling it. Offering recycling, trade in, and buyback programs offer customers a simple way to receive cash for their unwanted technology equipment or, if there is no value, recycle it.

Making solutions that make it easy for customers to go green. Computer Buyback and Recycling programs reduce environmental impact by providing a convenient way for customers to responsibly recycle data center equipment. Environmentally, RICOM is committed to offering products and services that are environmentally practical throughout their life cycles.

Remanufacture and reuse is only one component of the environmental lifecycle. A complete approach to the environment considers all aspects of a product's lifecycle and footprint of a product. Systems that can be upgraded using refurbished components extend the end date of their use. RICOM offers refurbished components in new products and packaging as an alternative of cost savings.

Hardware asset recovery has value with used equipment Trade-in/trade-up, donation and off lease programs. With 20 years experience in IT sales, refurbishing and recycling operations, green is good business. Our vast portfolio of blade, virtualized configurations as well as energy star certified products cuts power costs, and consolidates data center real estate. Recycling computers rather than depositing them in landfills or shipping them off for other nations has risk of sensitive data. RICOM?s partnered with company?s assisting in such disk data sanitation services.

RICOM extends environmental technology solutions saving customers money. Electronic products make up the fastest growing segment of our landfill waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2007, more than 63 million computers in the United States were traded in for replacements, or simply thrown out. Discarded computers don't just take up space in a landfill. Careless computer disposal spread toxic wastes of more than 100 chemicals leaching in the soil. Be responsible, reuse certified refurbished equipment, and recycle your aging data center equipment that is cost effective both business and environmentally.

Green Asset Recovery Solutions, contact RICOM <A HREF="http://www.shopricom.com/" TARGET="_top">shopricom.com</A>
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by Byeans August 9, 2009 2:31 PM PDT
This is the old CC the new one doesnt recycle! anyone know some were else?
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