Just Mail It: U.S. Postal Service Starts Electronics Recycling Program

Recycling Electronics Responsibly With the U.S. Postal Service

Looking for a place to recycle that cell phone you left in your pocket and accidentally washed in the laundry?

Even though we covered how to recycle electronics safely before, here’s an interesting update:

The U.S. Postal Service is now offering a way to get rid of small electronics without flinging them into the wastebasket with the Mail Back program.

How You Can Recycle Electronics at the Post Office

The system is very easy and hassle-free, unlike most post office-related adventures. Dispose your gadgets by picking up a free, postage-paid envelope at the post office, drop it in and mail it. There are over 1,500 locations currently participating in the project, and if it’s successful, it will go nationwide.

Tech devices have to fit inside the 5.5 inches by 6.25 inches envelope and cannot weigh more than 13 ounces. Fortunately, this covers most electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, mp3 players, inkjet cartridges, PDAs, digital cameras and more.

Clover Technologies Paying for Electronic Recycling Program

Printing supplies company Clover Technologies Group is picking up the tab for the program, which has developed a “zero waste to landfill” policy. If they cannot fix up the gadget, they will take it apart and recycle the electronic insides.

As much as it seems many corporations are not doing much to promote recycling electronics, Clover won the contract over 19 other companies. USPS is not paying Clover or receiving any money from them, which means Clover is funding everything, including — ironically — the prepaid postage on the envelopes.

USPS is doing its best to go green, touting its newfound eco-friendliness along with the Mail It Back program. This includes using nearly 100 percent recyclable materials for its Express Mail and Priority Mail envelopes and boxes, saving 15,000 metric tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere, recycling 1 million tons of papers and plastics and producing over $7.5 million in savings through recycling programs last year.

Thanks to the Orange Country Register’s Tech section for info on how to recycle your electronic gadgets safely.




Copyright 2008 Matty Byloos

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