Trade or Toss

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Tracy Katz

           
 

The holiday season has come and gone, and if you're like most people, you're wondering what to do with that old piece of gear that you just replaced with something newer, better, and smaller. For an easy (and free) way to dispose of your electronics, check out the Costco.com Trade-In & Recycle Program (www.greensight.com/CostcoTrades). Available to all Costco members, the program allows you to recycle qualified items — computer monitors, MP3 players, and digital cameras, for example — or trade them in for their estimated cash value. After you complete a simple form online and your equipment is approved, you'll receive a prepaid UPS shipping label with which to send in your items, as well as a Costco Cash Card equal to the electronics' trade-in value.

Don't have a Costco membership? With some Web detective work, you can find local recycling programs and facilities that are convenient for you. Good places to begin your search are the Electronic Industries Alliance: E-Cycling Central (www.eiae.org), the National Center for Electronics Recycling (www.electronicsrecycling.com), and Earth 911 (http://earth911.org).