Best Buy Tests Free E-Waste Recycling

These days, electronics retailers are feeling increasing pressure from watchdog groups, municipalities, and even consumers to help clean up some of the so-called e-waste they help create: by peddling new phones, computers, televisions, and other gizmos, they help generate a surfeit of unwanted technology items, many of which contain hazardous chemicals and toxic materials. Throw them away, and that stuff essentially goes straight into the environment—and ground water.

Now, electronics retailer Best Buy is trying an experiment in 117 of its retail locations in eight states: consumers can bring in up to two items of e-waste per day, and Best Buy will arrange to have them safely recycled, for free. Even if Best Buy didn’t originally sell the merchandise. Items eligible for the program include computers, phones, cameras, and other electronic items and peripherals. However, televisions over 32 inches in size, console TVs, air conditioners, microwaves, and appliances are not eligible. (Best Buy does offer a separate pickup/haul-away program for appliances.)

If the tests go well, Best Buy may expand the program to all its 900+ retail locations in the United States.

The recycling program came to light after the social responsibility group As You Sow submitted a proposal that would have had shareholders back a recycling program. As You Sow withdrew the proposal when Best Buy revealed it was already working to expand its existing recycling services, which include in-store recycling kiosks for things like batteries and ink cartridges, haul-away services for appliances and televisions, and a trade-in program for "select gently used" electronics.

"We salute Best Buy for taking the initiative to offer free electronics take back at a number of its stores," said AS You Sow’s director of corporate social responsibility Conrad MacKerron, in a statement. "Making electronics recycling almost as easy as purchasing these goods has the potential to simplify recycling for millions of consumers who may be confused about where to return end-of-life goods in their area."

The Best Buy stores offering the test recycling program are in the Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota areas.