Do you have a collection of old devices and chargers around your house? Unsure what to do with them? You’re not alone.
In response to a significant need for more accessible electronics recycling and the growing importance of reducing e-waste, Best Buy has launched a new recycle-by-mail program. The recycling-by-mail program follows an existing Best Buy campaign to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
Let’s dive into what e-waste is and why Best Buy’s program can positively impact the environment.
E-waste is discarded electronic appliances such as mobile phones, computers, and televisions.
E-waste is a significant and growing problem around the world. E-waste is particularly harmful due to the toxic materials often used in creating electronic devices. When exposed to the environment through a landfill, they can leach poisonous metal materials into the ground, and those metals will eventually reach groundwater.
E-waste must be carefully and properly disposed of to limit negative environmental effects.
With the launch of their new program. Best Buy now allows consumers to mail in unwanted laptops, smartphones, and other electronics for recycling.
Two sizes of prepaid boxes are available on the Best Buy website: a 9-by-5-by-3-inch container that can carry up to 6 pounds for $23 and a larger, 18-by-14-by-4-inch box that can carry up to 15 pounds for $30.
Once filled, boxes can be taken to any approved UPS location.
To purchase a box, you can visit this link on Best Buy’s website.
If you’re not interested in mailing, you can also drop off unwanted electronics at Best Buy locations and trade in select merchandise for gift cards.
Businesses in regulated industries please note — do NOT include any storage devices with sensitive information on them in this program. You should have an internal process to properly decommission and destroy storage devices per your security policy. Read more about how PK Tech helps its clients with this critical requirement here.
Best Buy is the largest retail collector of e-waste in the US, having recycled 2.7 billion pounds of electronics and appliances since 2009. Now, that’s inspiring!
As an IT company, PK Tech is also committed to reducing and supporting e-waste elimination. We discuss what and how you can recycle it in this blog. If you have questions about whether a device or electronic is recyclable, please reach out to us.
Together, we can positively impact the planet by reducing e-waste in landfills.
Contact PK Tech here if you have questions about safely and responsibly disposing of e-waste.