Go Green with Charities!

A couple of well-known companies are adding their own push to get you to recycle electronics.

Wired magazine is partnering with a company called YouRenew to challenge consumers to recycle 40,000 consumer electronics products between April 22 and May 21 in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, while Harris Teeter has joined MyBoneYard to provide a free and convenient way to donate individual items for recycling, order collection materials for a one-time collection event, or start a recycling fundraising program to support local schools.

Through the Wired/YouRenew program, you visit a cobranded website and follow three steps to join the challenge and get paid for old electronics. First, use the search bar onthe site to find your device (cell phone, digital camera, laptop, DVD, etc.). Then answer a few questions about the condition of your device, click “How Much?” to find out the device’s value and check-out to send in your device. Once YouRenew receives and checks your device you will receive payment by check or PayPal.

At check out, you also get to choose whether a donation will be made to carbonfund.orgor americanforests.org.

Harris Teeter’s new program allows people to recycle their old music players, PC systems and laptops, cell phones, game systems, flat panel monitors, digital cameras, film cameras, video cameras, camera lenses and GPS systems. You visit a section of the Harris Teeter website called “Engaged Recycling” under the sustainability information section for the company and click “Recycle Now” to go to the MyBoneYard-related site.

First you choose if you want to start your own recycling program, get collection materials for a one-time collection event or recycle individual items. If you choose that final option, you answer a few questions such as the make, model and overall condition of the item to recycle and are given an estimated value. You can get the amount in Harris Teeter gift cards or donate it to a Together in Education school. Harris Teeter also provides customers with a prepaid shipping label and voucher to send in the electronic device at no cost.

Not every product you offer at these sites will be worth money in return. But even if it isn’t, Harris Teeter will offer a $1 donation to a Together in Education school if you recycle it with them anyway. Wired will still recycle it even if they won’t pay you for it.