Wired – Get rid of old, broken, and unused devices—even Lightning cables—without adding to the e-waste problem. “Whether you have an old phone languishing in a desk drawer or a broken laptop gathering dust in the back of a closet, there will never be a better time to dispose of it. There’s a good chance your unwanted gadget can return to useful service, and it may even make you a little cash or help someone else. Recycling should be the last resort, but if there’s nothing else for your gadget, there are ways to recycle electronics responsibly. Global e-waste topped 50 million metric tons in 2019, according to the United Nations Global E-Waste Monitor, and just 17.4 percent of that waste was collected and recycled. Too many old electronics end up in landfills and hellish e-waste graveyards where they poison communities. The problem is only growing worse. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) forum estimates that 5.3 billion phones dropped out of use in 2022 alone. Governments, companies, and people are waking up to the fact that we must do better. The big question is, how? Here are some resources, services, and ideas that can help… If you can’t reuse, repair, sell, or donate, it is important to recycle your old electronics properly. Anything with a battery inside must not be thrown into the general waste, because discarded batteries can leak toxic chemicals into the environment and start fires. But we’re not just talking about phones and laptops here; you should also try to recycle smaller items, like cables and chargers. Some of the places we have already mentioned will recycle devices that can’t be reused, and it’s worth checking to see whether the original manufacturer of your device has a recycling scheme. Most major manufacturers, including Apple, Google, and Samsung, will recycle your old devices, and Apple will take old Lightning cables if you’re making the switch to USB-C. Retailers like Best Buy and Staples will also accept and recycle your old phones, laptops, cables, and other electronics..”