Use Tech To Recycle Tech And Other Things

So you’ve chosen everything that gives you joy and now you have all those bags of tech, clothing, books, and other stuff that you need to get rid of. Where do you go from here?

First, keep in mind that just dumping it isn’t an option. Reusing and recycling old and unneeded stuff has become an important aspect of the push to preserve the world’s environment — to the point that junk food manufacturers are testing reusable packaging. Many states and urban areas are mandating the recycling of tech, metals, paper goods, or other substances, but even if you live in an area where the law doesn’t require it, you probably don’t want to add more to the world’s trash.

The problem is finding how and where you can get rid of your stuff with the greatest advantage to you and the least amount of damage to the environment. Fortunately, there are a number of online services that can help you figure out how to responsibly get rid of things — and possibly make some money in the process.

Here are some sites to check out, depending on what you want to dispose of — and how you want to do it.

TECH

Planning to buy a new phone or laptop? Before you make the purchase, check out any manufacturer trade-in deals that are available for your Macs, Pixels, and other devices.

If you don’t like the offer from the vendor, you can sell your tech. There are online vendors who will take your used device off your hands, and give you something for it. Decluttr, for example, will give you a tentative quote on your phone or tech (it also takes CDs, DVDs, games, books, and Legos). You can also sell through a service like Swappa, which charges the buyer, not the seller, a fee (but the seller does have to pay PayPal’s transaction fee). Amazon also has a trade-in program, although payment will come in the form of a gift card.

If you’ve got tech that is so old that nobody wants it, then it’s time to dispose of it — in an environmentally conscious way, of course. In fact, if you just throw away your computer or TV set, you may be breaking the law, depending on where you live. According to the National Council of State Legislatures, “25 states and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation establishing a statewide electronic waste, or e-waste, recycling program.” (Want to know what happens to your recycled trash? Check out this article about New York City’s e-waste.)

If you live in an urban area, chances are there’s some kind of recycling program available (or even mandatory). In many cases, stores that sell electronics will also offer recycling; all you have to do is bring your stuff to the store. Or you can try Earth911 to find the nearest recycling center.

Disposing of batteries safely can be a pain. Call2Recycle can help you find out where to drop off that bag of batteries you’ve been accumulating. If there aren’t any facilities within reach of your home or office, BigGreenBox will dispose of it for you — but not for free. The company will send a box that will hold up to 43 pounds of batteries and will dispose of them safely for $63 (which includes shipping and handling).

Finally, if you’re still holding on to your parents’ old BlackBerry PDA or Commodore 64, you may want to see if you can donate it to a museum. There aren’t as many tech museums that accept contributions as there used to be, but if you’ve got something old and / or unusual, it’s worth a shot for the tax breaks. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA has a wish list of tech it’s looking for, while the MIT Museum has a form you can fill out.

CLOTHING

You can divide clothing sites into three categories: ones that handle the latest stylish and expensive clothing and jewelry, ones that handle major middle-level brands, and dealers in traditional discount leftovers.

At the high end are consignment companies that act as go-betweens for those who want to sell designer clothing, jewelry, and other valuable objects, and those who want to buy them. Most of these, such as TheRealReal, Rebag, and Vestiaire Collective, authenticate all the products that are sold through them and will only take recent fashions; so they are not where you go to get rid of that jacket that’s been hanging in your closet for ten years. However, if you’re the kind of shopper who buys the latest styles every season, these may where you want to sell and buy.

A side note: if you have business clothing that you no longer wear, there are a number of organizations that accept office wear in good condition for people who are job hunting. Most of these are locally based; for example, in the NYC area, there is Bottomless Closet for women and Career Gear for men. The best way to find an organization in your area is to try charity guides such as Charity Navigator or GuideStar.

For less upscale clothing, sites like Tradesy handle both upscale and mid-price clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Tradesy offers a straightforward commission, although it will check if there is any question about the authenticity of the label. You can also try sites like ThredUp, which handles thousands of major brands; if it accepts your clothing, you can choose from getting paid after the sale or getting a lower price on an immediate payment. (If the clothing isn’t accepted, it will be recycled.

BOOKS

Photo by Andrew Liptak / The Verge

Books made of paper rather than pixels are still around — and if the piles are getting too high for your home, then you probably want to get rid of at least some of them. But where?

One solution is to sell your books through a site such as Amazon, although that can get complicated. As an individual (as opposed to a business), you have to pay Amazon 99 cents per book (although if you do sell your book, Amazon gives you a shipping credit of $3.95, more for international sales). And your chances of actually selling may be slim to none; there are a lot of professional book sellers who use Amazon to get rid of extra inventory, so they will sell their books for the 99 cents plus the shipping fee, making it difficult for individuals to compete.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

When you want to sell your stuff, one of the first places people think of is eBay. And rightfully so: this is where a lot of buyers go when they’re looking for a deal. People who sell on eBay range from one-time-only folks to professional retailers. You get 50 free listings a month; after that, it’s 35 cents per listing. Once your item has been sold, eBay collects 10 percent of the final value, with several exceptions: 3.5 percent for guitars and bases; 2 percent for heavy equipment, and 10 percent for books, DVDs, and other music and movie media (except for records). It takes time, effort, and patience, but it may be worth it. Do a quick search and see what types of prices your object is selling for.

Source: The Verge