Are you swapping that old TV for a brand new flat screen? Did you manage to get your hands on a PS5 and questioning what to do with that old PS4? The age old question of how to depose your old electronics when you don't need them will be answered. In this post, we will look at the various opportunities one has when it comes to disposing of old electronics, we will specifically look at the recourses that Downers Grove residents have, and the overall concepts that can be applied to anyone, anywhere.
Before You Throw Away
Even though it might sound tempting to immediately get rid of your electronics, you might want to take some precautions because you might be at risk. Especially for plenty of todays electronics, you want to wipe out any data that you have before you throw the electronics away.
For instance, let's say that you bought a new computer and plan on throwing away the old one. Unless you specifically requested a data transfer and wiping the hard drive, then you might not only lose your personal data, but also risk someone else getting their hands on it. Meaning that you could not only lose important files like pictures, tax information, sensitive information, but you can risk letting someone else view that private information.
Before you throw it away, make sure to check if your old electronics have any sensitive data on it, this includes old phones, tablets, computers, laptops, etc. If it doesn't have any sensitive information, you're clear to get rid of it. On the other hand, if you know there is private data, then make sure to either personally delete it or take it to a electronics store that offers data wiping.
So now that you know what precautions to take before disposing your electronics, lets see what places will take it off your hands.
The Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act
To understand where you should dispose of old electronics, we first have to understand the legislative steps Illinois placed in order to incentivize the pubic and organizations to properly recycle their electronics.
In 2008, the Illinois State Congress passed "The Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act" which simply said that any electronics manufacturers selling their products within the state must provide or pay for the recycling of their products and outright banned certain electronics from land fills. Originally, the act only included four main electronics: computers, televisions, monitors and printers. After being amended in 2011, the act included 14 additional products including keyboards, mice, video game consoles, and more.
What this means for you is that most of the electronics you have can be recycled for free, without needing to pay extra unless you are throwing more than a few objects.
E-Recycling at the Local Electronics Store
As people have become more conscious of the environmental impacts of the waste we produce, we have become more keen to shift towards recycling rather than leaving materials unused. This is essential to recycling electronic waste, or e-waste, where instead of burying microchips and wires, we can reuse them and properly dispose of the parts of electronics we cannot use.
Thankfully, the demand for e-recycling has increased and there are plenty of opportunities and locations to deposit your e-waste without having to pay extra for your trash. There are a variety of local electronics stores that will take your unused electronics, and depending on how usable they are, they might give you in store credit.
One go-to location for e-waste disposal is Best Buy. The great thing about Best Buy's e-recycling program is that most of the electronics we generally use are covered under said program. Best Buy provides a comprehensive list on what products they accept for free, and which one's you might need to pay to remove. It's important to note that there is a three item limit per day per household.
Check The Manufacturers Policy
Due to the rise in demand for e-recycling and recently implemented legislation, more and more manufacturers are offering recycling programs to help take the burden of electronics disposal off your hands. No need to rent a dumpster or take your trash to the dump, now most electronics companies will either partner with other companies like Best Buy or FedEx in order to remove the cost for you to throw away those old electronics.
Get That Money
If you've read any of our previous blog posts about how to dispose of furniture or other goods, we've constantly promoted the motto "One mans trash is another mans treasure" which is also true for used electronics. There are plenty of opportunities for people to get money for their used electronics, all you need to know is where to look.
One decent source of extra money is trading in your used electronics. There are plenty of locations and firms that will offer in store credit for trading in old electronics. This is good because you'll be able to know immediately, however the drawback is that you won't get cash for it, payment will most likely come back as in-store credit, meaning you have to use it in the store.
Some of these stores include Best Buy, Apple, and even Amazon has an extremely wide trade-in program which not only offers a seamless experience, but also gives you a minimum quote for the trade in value, and after inspection, may increase the value depending on how good it is.
Another option to get some extra cash out of your used electronics is by selling it on an online marketplace. You have a few great options including eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp. All of these marketplaces offer both shipping and local pick up options meaning that not only can you ship it to someone across the country, but also offer the option to list and sell your items to near by buyers.
When it comes to selling goods to reach a larger market, then eBay takes the prize, however do charge fees for selling goods and might be more of a hassle than most people want. So if you don't want to deal with shipping and just sell it to a local, then Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp are great options. The only thing to take note of is that these two marketplaces might limit the number of people who see your listing, which might result in a lower price than getting it on eBay.
The key takeaway from this is that you have plenty of options when it comes to disposing of your used electronics, whether you just plan to get rid of it through a recycling program or end up selling it online.
Here at Trashbox, we provide smart solutions to get rid of your unwanted trash. We don't charge any extra fees for delivery or pickup, and take care of taxes with simple flat rates. Located in Downers Grove, we opened up in the beginning of 2021 during a world wide pandemic, and fought to offer competitive dumpster rental rates, a world class support team here to offer advice and help, and quality service from our drivers. Call (630)450-3960 to get a free quote for you next dumpster rental.