Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Amazon will recycle small electronics for free

The Verge: “If you have a flip phone that you haven’t used in over a decade, or maybe even a broken tablet, Amazon will pay for a shipping label that you can use to send it in to get recycled. Apparently, this recycling program has been a thing for a while now, but several of us at The Verge never even knew about it until we saw this tweet from journalist Dave Zatz, and thought it might be a good idea to spread the word. Amazon’s recycling program lets you ship your small electronics for free from any UPS dropoff point (you just have to provide the packaging). Amazon then transfers the devices it receives to a licensed recycling facility, and notes that it will remove or destroy any “identifying marks or personal information” during the process. Amazon still recommends performing a factory reset on your device (if it still works) before sending it in, however. According to Amazon spokesperson Saige Kolpack, the company’s recycling program isn’t new — it’s actually been around “for years” and Amazon just relaunched a new page in April to make it easier for customers to find. It isn’t to be confused with Amazon’s trade-in program, which lets you send in Amazon devices, cellphones, video games, and other electronics in exchange for an Amazon gift card. You don’t get anything in return for sending in devices to be recycled, other than the personal satisfaction that you’re doing a small part in helping the environment…”

Sorry, comments are closed for this post.