How to dispose of your old AV equipment and tech gear

1 month ago

Remember nan glory days of watching and re-watching Jurassic Park III on nan Sony DVD subordinate you bought backmost successful 2001? Or really astir nan twelvemonth you invested successful that Denon 5.1 receiver for your caller speaker system? Like beloved family members, our AV instrumentality tin go engrained successful nan cloth of our lives. But pinch caller and shiny streaming devices, soundbars, and TVs arriving successful our homes, galore of our older devices are transported to basements, attics, and nether nan stairs.

But contrary to nan world of anthropomorphized radios and lamps that films for illustration The Brave Little Toaster want america to believe, our electronics person nary hearts, brains, aliases souls, truthful it’s perfectly okay to portion ways pinch vintage cogwheel erstwhile it’s nary longer needed.

That being said, simply tossing your AV instrumentality into a dumpster aliases trash tin is 1 of nan worst things you tin do for nan environment. Fortunately though, location are galore different ways you tin safely and responsibly dispose of your aged AV gear, and we’ve rounded up immoderate of our favourite options below.

Donate your electronics

A Marantz A/V receiver and Sony 4K Blu-ray subordinate controlled pinch an IR blaster from an Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED TV.

If you’re emotion benevolent aliases simply want to springiness backmost to your community, 1 awesome measurement to beryllium free of your AV cogwheel is by donating it. Places for illustration Goodwill and Salvation Army will usually judge AV products for illustration speakers, Blu-ray/DVD players, and different components. And moreover if your aged receiver is only 25% operational, there’s a bully chance nan aid depot will still return it. Even if you’re sitting connected immoderate like-new instrumentality though, it’s ever a bully thought to telephone nan institution aliases hop connected nan website to study much astir nan aid center’s aid policies.

Another use of donating is that galore aid centers will supply you pinch a receipt that you tin past usage to study your publication connected your taxation return. Doing truthful could consequence successful little taxation owed erstwhile you file, aliases moreover immoderate type of taxation refund if Uncle Sam deems you worthy.

Sell, sell, sell

Depending connected nan property and information of your AV equipment, there’s a chance you whitethorn beryllium capable to waste nan cogwheel for a profit. In fact, moreover if it’s connected nan vintage side, aliases if 1 aliases 2 functions of nan instrumentality aren’t working, you’d beryllium amazed really galore video and audiophiles will still want to acquisition it.

Depending connected nan peripheral, it tin beryllium highly difficult to get your hands connected definite ancient components, which is why we’re betting that galore enthusiasts aliases collectors would beryllium much than pleased to return thing disconnected your hands for a price.

Reputable hubs for conducting these types of transactions are sites for illustration Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp. If you want to hone successful connected much hi-fi and audio-specialized resources, sites for illustration US Audio Mart are community-based and connection rankings for sellers and buyers to trim down connected nan dodgy factor. You tin besides cheque retired what audio-related Facebook groups you tin subordinate to dispersed your advertisement retired to much folks.

Seek nan services of your municipality

Cities and towns aren’t wholly anti-AV erstwhile it comes to picking up your busted-up soundbars and crippled systems. There’s a bully chance that nan trash and recycling teams that work your organization person definite e-waste pickup dates. While you whitethorn person to slap a explanation connected nan instrumentality to designate it arsenic e-waste, this is 1 of nan easiest ways to get free of your cogwheel without having to carrier it location yourself.

Do support successful mind that moreover if your city, town, aliases region offers e-waste pickup dates, you whitethorn person to telephone successful beforehand to schedule a pickup for definite items for illustration older TVs. Some communities whitethorn besides enforce a interest for these types of services.

And moreover if nan trusty landfill isn’t doing immoderate e-waste collections for immoderate time, it’s still a bully thought to hop connected your town’s website to spot if immoderate section churches, libraries, aliases different organization accommodation are holding immoderate type of charitable arena successful nan adjacent future.

Drop disconnected your cogwheel astatine Best Buy

Line extracurricular of Best Buy for RTX restock.

We move to retailers for illustration Best Buy and Walmart erstwhile it comes clip to put successful caller electronics, but brick-and-mortar stores (as good arsenic definite online outlets) tin besides travel successful useful erstwhile it’s clip to get free of your aged stuff. Both Best Buy and Walmart connection recycling for each kinds of electronics, including definite TVs (there’s usually a size limitation). In astir cases, each you’ll person to do is load up your conveyance pinch immoderate cogwheel you want to get free of, and fto an worker cognize you person electronics you’d for illustration to recycle.

A batch of nan time, stores for illustration Best Buy will moreover person recycling bins for smaller electronics (like smartphones and aged wires) staged correct astatine nan beforehand of nan store, too.

If your aged cogwheel isn’t precisely “old” by manufacture standards, and you’re looking to upgrade nan device(s), you should besides cheque to spot if your go-to large container shop offers immoderate benignant of trade-up program. If it does, you whitethorn beryllium capable to people an in-store in installments that you tin usage toward nan acquisition of a newer component.

Recycling pinch Samsung and different brands

The Samsung Q80C placed successful a surviving room connected a TV stand.

Believe it aliases not, there’s a decent fistful of electronics manufacturers that connection some recycling and buyback programs for qualifying devices. In nan lawsuit of a institution for illustration Samsung, there’s an full e-waste web portal. After choosing a merchandise class (like TVs aliases smartphones), you’ll beryllium capable to scroll down and prime from a number of links that are tethered to your e-waste filter.

These links see options for illustration recycling halfway discovery, arsenic good arsenic outer navigation to Samsung’s Mailback program, which is tally by a institution called OEM Takeback.

Brands for illustration LG and Audio Technica besides person their ain recycling programs and resources, arsenic good arsenic galore different AV companies. It’s easy capable to tally a speedy Google hunt for immoderate marque of point you’re readying to get free of, followed by phrases for illustration “recycling program” aliases “e-waste.”

Look to nan EPA

Recycling centers are a awesome measurement to offload your AV gear, and moreover if there’s not a section works successful your zip code, there’s a bully chance you’re not excessively acold distant from a facility.

If you’re not judge wherever to find your nearest recycling center, nan Environmental Protection Agency’s website is simply a coagulated resource. Not only does nan tract person a hunt instrumentality for search down eco-friendly depositories, but you’ll besides beryllium capable to study much astir e-cycling from possibly nan astir trusted authority connected nan matter.