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eBay’s Instant Sale: A New Electronics Recycling Program

Contributed By: ecofabulous

From the same Innovation Expo that brought you eBay’s “simple green shipping” idea, comes eBay Instant Sale, a program aimed at helping eBay users get rid of their old electronics in an environmentally responsible way, and make money in the process.

Since the U.S. market alone has welcomed in more than 30 new, state-of-the-art mobile devices (from the iPad to the Droid, the Palm Pre to the Xperia) people across the nation are ditching their old devices for newer, flashier versions at an unprecedented pace - and while we’re proponents of our beloved “green thing’s” messaging to “stick with what you’ve got,” we also understand that these new models are often much more tech-savvy and are allowing users to change the way they communicate and receive content. In any case, what we’re excited about, is that our friends over at eBay, have created a system so that when people do need to upgrade, they don’t have to choose between the landfill or the back of a sock drawer for stashing their old electronics, they can turn to eBay Instant Sale, plug in all the info about their device and get a cash offer instantly. If the user accepts the offer, a (free!) shipping label is generated, and the money will be in their PayPal account usually within a week after they ship it. Anyone interested in a little extra holiday cash??

Cash for you, care for the environment. With more than 2 million tons of electronics per year getting discarded in the U.S. alone, the EPA reports that only 15 to 20 percent are recycled. Since electronics often contain toxic chemicals, e-waste can pose health and environmental risks, particularly in landfills where toxins may leak into the soil and ground water. eBay Instant Sale is setting out to help mitigate these impacts by giving electronics a second life, diverting e-waste from landfills and making recycling simple and easy.

Zem Joaquin, founder of ecofabulous.com, is also eBay’s Eco Lifestyle Expert.