Empty out some drawers and closets, and chances are you will find an old phone, laptop, or other device collecting dust.
This Earth Day, there are a few ways to give unused devices a new life, starting with recycling.
"Even if they no longer have value to you, they have a lot of environmental value," said Apple’s Lauren Braun.
The materials inside old electronics may be used to build new ones. Braun said a record 30% of material in Apple products came from recycled content last year.
"They're made with critical materials like aluminum, gold, copper, and cobalt. And by recovering those critical materials, we're able to avoid mining," she said. "Those materials can then be reused into entirely new things."
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For example, Braun said the aluminum from an iPad or Mac can be turned into a window frame or automobile part.
When a device is truly at the end of its life, several retailers offer free or low-cost recycling including:
The site Earth911 allows you to search for a recycling center based on your location and the materials you’re looking to recycle. Another option is donating old tech through services like Cell Phones for Soldiers.
Get cash or gift cards for old tech
Recycling old tech devices avoids adding more electronic waste to landfills, but there are other benefits for consumers, like extra cash.
"If you bring your device in for trade-in to an Apple Store or online, you can get any residual value that's left on the device while someone new goes on to use it and enjoy it," Braun said.
Similarly, Amazon’s recycling program lets customers trade in eligible devices to save on a new tech gadget.
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Another avenue for making cash is selling old electronics yourself using online platforms such as:
Avoid upgrading if you can wait
It is tempting to trade in when a company releases the newest version of a smartphone or gaming console. But try to use your current devices for as long as possible.
"The best thing for the planet is to keep using a device that still has life left in it," Braun said, while also encouraging tech users to pass older devices down to family members, giving it a second or third life.
The technology website CNET finds less than half of adults, 39%, recycle tech they no longer use. Some, 29%, keep old devices stashed at home.
Some though admit to throwing tech in the trash, which is illegal in more than half of U.S. states.
