05 Nov USPS now Accepting Small Electronics for Recycling

USPS Offers Cash-back Recycling Program

The US Postal Service has made available a recycling program that pays cash for cellphones, cameras and other small electronic devices.  The program is available at 3,100 locations across the USA, including post offices (POs) in Austin!

The program ships donated electronics and inkjet cartridges to recycling firm MaxBack facilities for free, and (major bonus!) MaxBack will pay for working items. Consumers can visit the Postal Service’s web site to find out how much an item might be worth.  Those electronics that aren’t worth money can still be recycled using free mail-back envelopes at participating USPS locations. Environmental Reclamation Services (ERS), a zero-landfill, reverse-logistics company – remanufactures or recycles the damaged/ unusable small electronics, ensuring nothing goes to landfill.  (Full disclosure – ERS is the parent company of MaxBack).

I just picked up a few free mailing envelopes at the downtown PO today in Austin from the MaxBack box on the counter.  The box unfortunately does not do a good job of expressly stating that it is for a recycling program, and in fact the word 'recycling' appears on the box only once.  Whoever was responsible for the marketing side of things failed to communicate the point of the Maxback box adequately and I can imagine people being confused by it already.  Poor marketing contributes to the failure of an initiative so I hope this doesn't backfire.  

The original pilot program of the electronics recycling program was launched in 2008, and debuted in 10 areas across the country, including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego, CA.

Other locations to recycle electronics at include Best Buy, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sprint and Staples who joined the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Electronics Challenge (just about a month ago), committing to increase the amount of used electronics they collect and committing to send 100% of the used electronics they collect to third-party certified refurbishers and recyclers. The challenge aims to make electronics refurbishing and recycling practices the industry standard and requires recyclers to show an accredited, independent auditor that they meet specific standards to safely recycle and manage used electronics in order to be certified.

To get started recycling your small electronics, go to http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2012/pr12_105.htm  The beauty of this USPS program is that it will allow people living in remote areas to recycle items that otherwise would not be catered for in rural locations where recycling opportunities are non existent.  Spread the word to your friends and family living in rural areas.  Maybe they can get a few bucks for that old camera/ smartphone!

See more of Michele's blogs on Living Green Magazine at http://livinggreenmag.com/