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Do you have a few old, dusty beige-box computers kicking around that you’d like to turn into money? Or perhaps you’d just like to get rid of them, but you lack the means to dispose of them properly? Well, if you’re in the US you’re in luck: Apple will now recycle your old laptop or desktop PC and its monitor for free — and if it’s worth anything, you’ll even get an Apple Gift Card in return. In addition, your old iPhone or iPad can now be returned for an Apple Gift Gard, too.
This service, provided by Apple and PowerON, a California-based reseller of used and refurbished computers, is completely free of charge. Simply visit the Apple Reuse and Recycling Program website, select what kind of device you want to recycle (any desktop, notebook, iPad, or iPhone), and then fill in a few details about the device. For Windows desktops the only factors seem to be the case size and the processor speed; for laptops, the screen size and processor speed. For Apple products you need to select the exact model. On the next page you provide a few details about the condition of the computer: Does it boot up? Is it scratched? Can you can provide the original driver/OS disc? And so on. You’ll then be given an estimated fair market value — or if the device is too old or in bad condition, you’ll simply be told that it’s worth nothing (but you can still recycle it for free).
The fair market value for Windows PC computers do seem to be a bit on the low side — $48 for a two-year-old computer (see right) is a little miserly — but you do get free shipping and packaging, which doesn’t come cheap. Apple products are given higher values — $165 for a first-gen, 16GB Wi-Fi iPad, for example — but some devices are still on the penny-pinching end of the scale: last year’s top-of-the-range 17-inch MacBook Pro, for example, is only valued at $758, while its street value (Craigslist, eBay) should still be in excess of $1,000. In all cases, you will be sent some postage-paid packaging for your old computer, and in a few days you’ll be sent an Apple Gift Card.
In other news, Apple still offers free recycling for any iPod or mobile phone. Just fill in your address and Apple (powered by WeRecycle) will send you some prepaid packaging — or you can simply print off your own prepaid label, if you have your own packing materials. Alternatively, if you have an Apple Store nearby, you can give them your old iPod for a 10% discount on a new one.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Apple is fairly unique in offering free, anywhere-in-the-US recycling for any computer. There are many similar services that operate at a state level, store-based programs offered by Best Buy and others, and trade-in schemes from the likes of Dell, but to offer a completely free service is admirable. Of course there could easily be a kickbacks from WeRecycle and PowerON to Apple, but who cares? Proper disposal of computers and peripherals is tricky business and vital for the conservation of the rare and valuable materials that are used in their construction.
Update: Amazon has a trade-in service too, and it covers a much broader range of products, from electronics to books to DVDs. You get Amazon Gift Cards, too, which are far more useful than Apple Gift Cards…