Recycling electronics

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Where to start:

• Give cell phones back to their manufacturers or donate them to charity.
• Return iPods to Apple for recycling or sell them for parts.
• Keep old TVs out of landfills by taking them to a safe e-cycling facility.
• Take e-waste to stores like Best Buy and Staples that have recycling programs.
• Search Earth 911's database of recycling locations across the U.S.

More about: Recycling electronics

Computers, cell phones, game players — we upgrade and toss out the old ones fast. But these gadgets can't go into the garbage because they're filled with toxic materials. Many manufacturers and retailers are starting to take their electronics back, so you don't have to deal with it. Or find a responsible recycler near you.

Greening your electronics

Upgrading your computer or cell phone doesn't have to send plastics and hazardous chemicals to the landfill. Learn to buy green, extend the life of your products, and recycle carefully.

Get paid to recycle your cell phone

Flipswap trades in your old phones for cash, credit, or charity. This is another good way to keep old electronics out of the garbage.

Recycling by mail

Corks, shoes, and other plasticky items can be recycled by mail. Here's where to send what.

Let go of the old phone

The EPA estimates that there are 100 million unused cell phones stashed in homes across the country. Here are several options for disposing of them responsibly.

Radio Shack Offers Cash For Old Gear

E-waste is loaded with toxic heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. It's a good thing, then, that Radio Shack is offering some decent incentives to recycle old computers, TVs and cell phones.

A look inside electronics recycling

Video from our recent visit to an e-waste recycler in San Jose, California, where we saw with our own eyes what goes on with those unwanted TVs, cell phones, and computers...

Japan's landfills abound with gold, silver, and platinum

Millions of electronics discarded each year have created so-called "urban mines" -- and are evidence of the progress still to be made recycling.

Free recycling programs get needed attention

Now there is no excuse to see a computer in a Texas landfill: A state law, enacted on Labor Day, requires any company selling a computer to offer a free consumer recycling program.

Recycling an old iPod

Give your old iPod back to Apple or recycle it for cash, among other options, and you can move on to the next song with a clear conscience.

My hometown figures out that e-cycling matters

Westport, Connecticut, now recycles TVs, computers, and cell phones every day except Sunday. Do you know where to safely dispose of your electronics?

What to do with your crummy old iPhone

The greenest cell phone is the one you're currently using. But if you have to have the new iPhone, what's the best way to dispose of your old one?

Bluetooth? iPhone? Don't just ditch the old phone

When it's time for a new cell phone, recycle the old one. Turn it in to the manufacturer or donate it to charity.

E-cycling at a store near you

Retailers may not always make it obvious, but more and more of them will take back computers, iPods, mobile phones, TVs, refrigerators, and more -- even batteries.

My new TV is coming! Now, about my old one...

A new purchase begs a vexing question.

Recycling by mail

Get rid of your old electronic junk -- free, fast, and easy, with the help of the USPS.

TV recycling picking up steam... because it must

Keep an eye peeled for a "takeback" event near you.

Is the post office your future recycling center?

The postal service is great at delivering little bits of stuff to the right place. What if it turned its sights on recycling?

Recycle that old TV

When you upgrade to a new flat-panel HDTV, make sure your old set doesn't pollute the planet.

Guaranteed payment for recycling your electronics

What if you actually got paid to bring your old electronics back when you no longer needed them?

Recycle, re-ink

Options for recycling printer cartridges, saving bucks and waste.