It used to just be batteries and aerosol cleaning products: the sort of materials that would need special disposal procedures in order to protect the planet, but ending up forgotten and piled up in the back of cupboards collecting dust. Now, it’s our electronics.
Technology is advancing to a point where buying a new smartphone is an annual event for some people, and even the most conservative computer owners are found needing to replace their hardware about every five years or less. Left with old tech devices, some broken, others obsolete, all requiring special disposal so that e-waste doesn’t end up in the landfill, those needing an incentive to ethically toss their old MP3 player need only look to the US Postal Service for guidance.
Following in the wake of other e-waste initiatives like NextWorth, and moving in tune with the theme of this year’s Earth Day observances, the USPS (News - Alert) is providing a solution for the electronic packrat: fast cash for e-waste using MaxBack.com and free postal services.
Here is how it works: a person with a cell phone, tablet, laptop, or MP3 player that he or she would like to get rid of navigates to the MaxBack.com site, searches for the model to get an estimated price, mails it with the priority pass the website provides and waits for the cash to come.
The mention of free postage may come as a surprise to some. The USPS does not receive federal funding and relies on the sale of postage and mail services to provide snail mail capabilities across the country. In August, due to financial reasons, Saturday mail delivery will have to be pulled from the list of USPS services. This doesn’t change the fact that e-recycling will be free to use, however, only limiting e-waste disposal and the subsequent payment receipt to weekdays.
This incentive will hopefully bring with it some much-needed relief for the environment, as the Environmental Protection Agency currently estimates the number of computers thrown away every day is in the range of 130,000, which is peanuts compared to the estimated number of cell phones thrown away: approximately 350,000. Many, if not most of these dead devices contain recyclable materials that can be used in new products.
By offering this disposal option, the Postal Service hopes to set the example put forward by its brand identity as a leader in sustainability. The USPS’s previous forays in environmental responsibility include the use of electric vehicles, carbon emissions reports and the recycling of internal e-waste.
Edited by Alisen Downey