Early Spring Cleaning Thanks to the Best Buy Electronics Recycling Program

Are you like me and have a pile of electronics lying around your house gathering dust.  I always convince myself that I *might* use them someday or they would be great for the kids, and then I never actually make it happen and instead they sit cluttering my house.  Well, I’m getting a jump on my spring cleaning by clearing out all my electronic “clutter” and taking it where it can be disposed of properly.

And no, proper disposal is not setting it by the curb on garbage day; most electronics need special handling because they shouldn’t be sent to the landfill.  While I knew that they didn’t belong in the trash, I was never quite sure where to take them, so even the items I had convinced myself to let go of typically ended up sitting in our garage where our cars should be. 

But, no longer will I walk over keyboards and monitors, broken toasters or discarded DVDS, now I can take them to somewhere I’m already headed anyway – any of our local Best Buy stores.  Not only is the Best Buy electronics recycling program incredibly convenient, it’s also FREE and oh so easy. 

I went to Best Buy this past weekend and didn’t even set foot in the door before I was greeted by signage and stations for recycling my old electronics.  They had bins for all sorts of common household electrics right there inside the first sliding door, and a helpful employee right nearby who could take anything that was too big for the recycling stations. 

While I knew some of the electronics I was dropping off were toast and just needed to be put to rest, some of the items I brought were actually pretty new and I just didn’t have a need for them {work Blackberry and Google phone I never quite got the hang of}.  The employee helping me suggested that I take those to the mobile center in the middle of the store so I could cash in my old phones for Best Buy credit, which is something I wasn’t even aware that they did. 

About 15 minutes later, I was cleaning off the phones of all my old info {which they talked me through since I had no idea how to do this on my own} and signing away phones and chargers I wasn’t using anyway.  I left Best Buy roughly 20 {electronic} pounds lighter and with a Best Buy gift card burning a hole in my pocket.  Add that to the fact that I cleared out the electronic “graveyard” in our garage with almost zero effort, and I was a happy girl.  Not bad for a Sunday afternoon spent shopping, right?

I know many of you have similar graveyards in your offices, garages, and homes and could stand to purge them once and for all.  Why not head to Best Buy and ensure your electronics are safely and responsibly disposed of?  It’s easy, convenient, and it’s free, which makes it a huge win.

Want to know what happens to your electronics after they are recycled?  Watch this video that shows every step of the process – including how they destroy anything that might have sensitive user information. 
 
Here’s some facts about the program:
•    Technology is the fastest growing waste stream on the planet. As one of the world's largest retailer of consumer electronics, Best Buy wants to be part of the solution.
•    No matter where you bought or how old it is, Best Buy will recycle it.
•    Best Buy recycles 387 pounds of electronics each minute our stores are open.

That’s a whole lot of blenders, TVs and flip phones that didn’t clog our landfills! 

And, since you are already out shopping and are feeling much lighter, now is the perfect time to check out Best Buy’s line of Energy Star certified products in store.  You can upgrade your appliances to more energy efficient models, learn about the ways that they help you save as well as protect our environment, and swoon over front loader washer and dryers like I do.  To learn more about our Energy Star certified products, you can check out Best Buy’s Energy Star page and even find rebates for even more savings!

Have you used the Best Buy electronic recycling program before?  Did you love it as much as I did? 

This post has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.  As always, all opinions remain 100% ours.