Minneapolis – Best
Buy has set a target to collect 1 billion pounds of old or obsolete electronics
and appliances for recycling starting on Earth Day, April 22.
The retailer is
asking consumers nationwide to pledge online to “Recycle It On,” encouraging
increased use of its recycling and trade-in programs.
On April 22,
consumers can take the pledge to recycle and encourage others to do the same.
The more than 1 million Facebook fans of Best Buy will be invited to take the
Recycle It On pledge, an easy way to commit to recycling their own old
electronics, with features to pass along to friends and encourage the same, the
company said.
The application
will feature a U.S. map, tracking the various types of items pledged state by
state, as well as local store details to help users find their nearest Best Buy
store to drop off items. The application goes live April 22 on Facebook.
The 1 billion-pound
goal is a significant increase over current levels and is intended to help
increase responsible consumer action and capture a greater share of the current
electronics waste stream, Best Buy said.
The chain’s recycling
programs collected 120 million pounds of electronic goods in 2009 from U.S.
consumers, including 60 million pounds of electronics and 60 million pounds of
appliances. The company anticipates meeting the new goal in several years.
Best Buy
offers a variety of programs to help consumers recycle, reuse, or trade in
products — all of which are detailed at
:
* In-store
electronics recycling: Consumers can bring up to three items per day, per
household, for recycling at any U.S. or Puerto Rico Best Buy store. Best Buy
accepts most consumer electronics, with a few exceptions. A $10 recycling fee
per unit will be charged for some items with screens; consumers will instantly
receive a $10 Best Buy gift card in exchange for the recycling fee. (This fee
does not apply in certain states, and does not apply for any Best Buy
Exclusive-Branded products, such as Insignia, Dynex and VPR Matrix, the company
said.) Hard drives must be removed from computers prior to recycling.
Consumers should select their state from the drop-down menu at
to view program details specific to their local areas.
* Recycling
kiosks: At the front of every store, ink cartridges, rechargeable batteries,
cellphones, CDs, DVDs, PDA/smartphones and Best Buy gift cards can be dropped
off for free recycling.
* Appliance
and television haul-away: Best Buy will remove an old or obsolete appliance or
television free of charge from a consumer’s home when a new product is
purchased and delivered by Best Buy Home Delivery or Geek Squad Home Theater
Installation Service.
* Appliance
and television pick-up: For $100, Best Buy will arrange a home visit to remove
up to two appliance units and/or televisions for recycling, with $20 for each
additional unit.
*Trade-in:
At
consumers can to exchange
select gently used electronics for a Best Buy gift card.
