Best Buy : How to Recycle (or Trade In) Your Old Tech

Now that the holiday season is over, you might find yourself with tech gadgets you won't be using anymore. But don't throw anything out just yet.

Did you know that there are ways to get more out of that old tech and help the environment, too?

About 50 million tons of e-waste is thrown away each year, but Best Buy makes it easy to give your tech a second life. In fact, we've helped our customers recycle more than 2 billion pounds of electronics and appliances since 2009.

And who knows, maybe the laptop, video games or tablet you don't need anymore can take on a new form and become fiber-optic cables or even an airplane. But that's only possible if you recycle it.

As the nation's largest retail collector of e-waste, our recycling program is part of our continued commitment to protect the environment and support our customers throughout the lifecycle of their products by keeping old tech out of landfills and giving that technology a second life.

We make it easy to recycle all kinds of used tech - from cameras and cellphones to robot vacuums and speakers. Regardless of where you bought it, how old it is or who made it, you can bring your tech to any Best Buy store to have it recycled.

You can also make the most out of your old tech with our trade-in program. Simply redeem your tech by sending it in or bringing it in to a participating store for a Best Buy gift card that you can use to upgrade to the latest tech.

Here's what you should know before bringing your electronics in to your local Best Buy:

If you're trading in your old tech:

• See if your tech has value by using our Trade-in Calculator.
• Check out our current promotions for trading in or recycling your tech at a store.
• Due to local restrictions, we do not offer our Trade-In Program at all store locations, but you can also trade in online. We'll cover the costs for you to ship the item to us and will send an electronic Best Buy gift card for the value of your item once it is accepted.

If you're recycling:

• Check to see what items you can recycle at your local store and what fees might be associated.
• All U.S. stores offer the in-store programs for customers to bring their old, unused or unwanted tech for recycling, but check restrictions in your state before coming in.
• After you drop off your old tech, our trusted recycling partners will wipe any remaining data from devices before determining if the product can be repaired, repurposed or recycled, but you can also wipe your hard drive before coming in. Here's how to do it.
• If you're buying a major appliance, new TV or fitness equipment, take advantage of our haul-away program and have Geek Squad or Best Buy Home Delivery recycle it for you.

Tech recycling is just one of the many ways we're working to protect our environment. We have a goal of reducing carbon emissions in our operations by 75% and reducing carbon emissions for our customers by 20% - all by 2030. We also signed The Climate Pledge and made a public commitment to be carbon neutral across our business by 2040, a decade faster than our previous goal of 2050.

Learn more about recycling your tech at Best Buy here and our commitment to the environment here.