What to Do with Your Old Electronics

The automatic reaction that most of us have when we get a new phone or TV is either to throw the old one away or let it sit around the house for ten years. However, there are other better ways to get rid of or even reuse your old electronic devices. 

It may not seem like there’s a lot you can do with that iPhone 5 you finally upgraded from, but there are some surprising ways to reuse or get rid of your old devices. Here are some of those ways.

Sell

Selling your old phones and laptops is a really good way to get back some of the money you just spent on new ones. Many retailers will take trade-ins of your devices when you buy a new one from them, which will save you money on your purchase. If your device is still in decent condition, you can sell it on used-electronic marketplaces like Gazelle or Craigslist. 

Use it for Something Else

You can often use your old devices in pretty creative ways. Some people will give their old laptops to their kids to play games on, while others convert smartphones into TV remotes or cameras. You can even make it into a Wifi hotspot for your home or when you’re on the go!

Donate

Before you throw away a perfectly usable device, think: Could somebody still get some use out of it, even if I won’t? Perhaps you could give it to someone you know who’s in need, or give it to a charity foundation like Goodwill for them to sell. If your old electronic device is still in good condition, it would be wasteful to throw it away when you could give it away instead.

Recycle

Fort Lauderdale electronics recycling is also a great way to get rid of your old devices. Many companies will actually pay you something for your old phones, desktops, and cords. At the very least it’s usually free of charge. They’ll use the materials from those devices to go into the manufacturing of new ones, thus saving millions of pounds of electronic waste a year. 

Not only can you potentially save waste by using any of these ways to get rid of your old electronics, but you also have the opportunity to help someone or make some money! Plus all these things are much better than tossing your old PC or keeping it in your garage for the edification of future generations, so why not?