Retrevo Looks At CE Recycling

By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 10/18/2010

New York — Almost one-third of the U.S. respondents (28 percent) said they recycled their old CE devices, according to a study by Retrevo.

The top states in the country for CE recycling include California, Minnesota, Maryland and Oregon, which is out in front with 53 percent.

The top four greenest metro areas of the country are the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C. Metro Area, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

As the U.S. Census was winding down, Retrevo was tabulating the results of its Gadget Census that involved more than 7,500 households across the country and around the world. Participants answered a list of questions about the devices they owned and how they used them. Some of the questions involved how actively they recycled their old gadgets.

The most common excuse and possibly least defensible for not recycling was, “I just didn’t get around to it.” On the other hand, the smallest number of potential recyclers said they “didn’t care.” If procrastination was the most common excuse, lack of knowledge comes in second, with 20 percent of Americans who don’t recycle saying they didn’t know how.

The third most common excuse for not recycling is the fact that it’s not available. In many cases, this is being addressed by resellers and manufacturers that are stepping up and providing recycling services for old consumer electronics products. Costco, Sam’s Club and others offer a trade-in program for old gear as well as recycling services that will dispose of them properly. Office Depot gives you a box that you fill up with your old devices and take back to the store.