Found yourself with heaps of past-generation gadgetry? Instead of tossing them out with the trash, recycle. We’ll spare you the scolding, though discarding gadgets can be really hazardous, especially when it comes to leaking batteries – and give you the best tips for trading, recycling – even selling your old tech. That way, you can buy more. Carry on, techies.
General Recycling
Recycle your old gadgets and donate to charity. A non-profit collects unwanted gadgets that for value and donates the proceeds to charity, Recycling For Charities is an eco-friendly site with a “give back” mantra. Just round up your donation – the site accepts old cell phones, PDAs, iPods and digital cameras – and select the charity you’d like your donations to benefit, print out the ready-made shipping label and tax donation forms and ship. Easy.
(More on TIME.com: Bill Nye, The Science Guy, Goes Environmentally Conscious)
Get Something Back
Your drawer full of gizmos is likely just collecting dust; why not try your hand at making a little cash? Gazelle.com will help pad your wallet by selling your used gadgets. From cell phones to laptops to digital cameras, Gazelle accepts 22 different categories – and the best part: It’s simple. Just search for your gadget in Gazelle’s database to view its market value (the amount the site will pay you for it) and sign up for an account. If your item has no market value, Gazelle will recycle it for you. They’ll even send you a postage-paid box, freeing you from shipping costs.
Bonus: Most tech companies have their own do-good gadget recycling programs, though some are pretty limited. Check out Best Buy, eBay, Office Depot, Staples and Tobisha for more info on their programs.
(More on TIME.com: Recycling Old Electronics Can Pay Off)
