Apple Recycles iPods, Computers, All Brands of Cell Phones
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada 
on 02.25.08
According to our stats, 17.5% of TreeHugger readers are using Macs (0.05% on iPhones!). They might be happy to learn, as we are, that Apple has improved its recycling program. You can now send your old iPods and cell phones (of any brand or model, not just iPhones) for free recycling.
Apple writes: "All the e-waste we collect in North America is processed there and nothing is shipped overseas for disposal. Apple meets the requirements of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundry Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. In addition to annual compliance audits of our recycling vendors, we review the performance of their downstream vendors. Recyclers must comply with all applicable health and safety laws, and we do not allow the use of prison labor at any stage of the recycling process. Apple does not allow the disposal of hazardous electronic waste in solid waste landfills or incinerators, including waste-to-energy incinerators."
To recycle your iPod or cell phone, go to this page on Apple's site and follow the 3 steps. You don't even have to pay for shipping. You can also bring your old cell phone or iPod to any Apple retail store for free recycling. The iPod will give you 10% off on a new one.
You can also recycle your old computer and monitor, but it is only free when you purchase an Apple computer. The page with instructions for that can be found here on Apple's site.
Batteries from any Apple products can also be recycled for free at any Apple store. For more information about battery recycling, see Call2Recycle.
Keep going, Apple. A few steps in the right direction is not enough. Most of your customers are looking up to you for innovation and cutting edge design. Show us what the green(er) computers of tomorrow will be like.
::Apple Recycling, via ::Apple's free cell phone recycling adds to green efforts
See also: ::Apple Now Recycle Any Brand of Computer, ::An Even Greener Apple: Innovate!, ::Greenpeace Calls For A Greener Apple, ::Apple Helps Schools Recycle Old Computers, ::Green Electronics Guide From Greenpeace
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well there's a lot of gold n stuff in every phone.. about €25 worth so why not :P
good to see apple is finally going slightly green :D
I'd like to see an independent report on their new recycling program. Also, I'd like to see something about the labor standards of the electronics factory workers that make apple parts.
They makes more steps more frequently than a lot of people do. This one is a long time coming and it makes me happy. :-)
Apple has been doing this for a while now (not sure how long), so this isn't really new news unless they've improved their recycling program somehow. I sent my iPod to them about a year back when it got fried. I would love to see even old computers be free to recycle soon and maybe in the future have people getting paid to send in the electronics for recycling.
I'm glad to see this, though I am concerned about the specifics of the recycling program. I think with all the flak that Apple has taken they would set up a decent program.
I'm really impressed that they're also taking back ANY brand of cell phone without a purchase. I've got three old cell phones that I need to get rid of. Maybe I'll take a walk past the Apple store tomorrow.
It would be interesting to see how Apple is recycling this stuff. In Alberta its done for free. Small parts of the computer that are valuable are sold to over seas buyers. Its not idea but its a start. The rest is recycled. They tell the public its 100% recycled. The green washing machine is very busy now days.
So? Sony has been doing this for quite a while, and so has Dell and many other electronic firms.
Why am I not surprised Treehugger will find this as "innovation" and "cutting edge" just because it has an Apple logo and a nice look? It's getting tiring.
why not use prison labor?
it'd provide training in semi skilled labor that is in demand once folks get out.
forced prison labor is a different ball game.
Argh, this is infuriating. Now its shown up even more places, but this story is just wrong wrong wrong.
This is not news. The recycling program has included any brand of cell phones for months and months now, as I pointed out the first place I saw this on MacNN/Electronista.
You can check out the Archive.org cache of the page from July that includes all cell phones if you don't believe me.
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ed: That seems correct. But even if not news, still worth a post for those who didn't know about it. TH isn't strictly news.
Who cares if this is not NEWS?! This is USEFUL!
I sent a request to get rid of the 6 cell phones collected from family members who would have put them in landfill otherwise.
You bah-humbuggers go bah-humbug in your compost bin. Sheesh.