Best Buy Takes Recycling Program Nationwide

January 23, 2009 By Geoff Duncan

Best Buy Takes Recycling Program Nationwide

Best Buy plans to expand its consumer electronics recycling program to over 1,000 U.S. stores on February 15, 2009.

Back in the middle of 2008, electronics retailer Best Buy announced a trial consumer electronics recycling program at 117 of its stores; the program must be successful (or at least good public relations) because the retailing giant has now announced it plans to offer electronics recycling at its 1,006 U.S. retail locations beginning February 15, 2009. The company plans to expand the operations to Puerto Rico during its 2010 fiscal year.

The program enables consumers to bring in up to two consumer electronics items per day for recycling at any Best Buy location. Best Buy will charge $10 for recycling items with screens (like televisions, monitors, and laptop displays, but customers immediately get a $10 Best Buy gift card when they pay the recycling fee. (The fee doesn’t apply in California, or for Best Buy’s own brand-exclusive products.)

Best Buy isn’t taking console TVs or televisions over 32 inches in size; the program also can’t handle appliances or other items with freon (older air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and mini-fridges), microwave ovens, or appliances. However, for $100 Best buy will arrange a home visit to remove up to two appliances and/or televisions (customers can add more items for $20 apiece), and Best Buy will remove an older appliance or TV from a customer’s home for free recycling with the purchase and delivery of a new one.

Showing 3 comments

Shaun at 12:17pm 2nd February 2009 I wonder if they did at every store what all the other recyclers have to do: get heavy industrial zoning and a special use permit from the local government, get a storm water pollution discharge permit under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) through the EPA or state equivalent program, submit a stormwater management plan for every store, test the stormwater runoff every year at the recycling facility and then submit an annual report, submit an annual recycling report to the state health department, pay exorbitant worker's compensation premiums (around 25% of payroll), and register as a large quantity generator of universal waste?
Sonia Diermayer at 5:38pm 28th January 2009 Potentially excellent development! But I don't see any info as to where/by whom these returned gadgets will be dismantled/recycled. If they are being shipped off to someplace in Asia with no environmental or worker protection standards, to be disassembled by 8-yr. olds, we've just hidden the problem and deceived ourselves.
Tom at 8:41pm 26th January 2009 Hmmm - seems like Best Buy has implemented one of my ideas I suggested to Best Buy in a cover letter I sent them a while back. I applied for the Director of Strategy and gave them some great ideas... since I did not have the experience on paper, I thought I would give away some of my intellectual capital. Happy to see they liked the Idea. Wonder if they will implement any others - how about hiring me! I have many more.

If nothing else the community and landfill will be rewarded with a cleaner environment. This is a great service that I hope people/customers will take advantage of this basically free service.