Check out all the ways you can earn extra cash recycling your old & broken electronics
In 2019, global electronic waste hit a new high of 53.6 million metric tons. This was a 21% rise in just five years, equating to almost 7.3 kg of e-waste per inhabitant.
And according to a recent UN report, less than 20% of this is e-waste was formally recycled which means most of our old electronics end up in landfills or is sent to poorer countries that suffer a whole host of environmental problems as a result of inadequate recycling facilities.
So if you want to do your bit for the environment and earn a little extra cash you may be thinking about how you can recycle your old electronics for money?
You can recycle old or broken electronics for cash through electronics recycling services such as Muzuma and Sell Cell; Trade them in for gift vouchers or money back through Amazon or Apple trade-in programs, or place them on second-hand eCommerce websites.
For a full list of companies that buy old and broken electronics and what you need to do before you sell them read on.
Contents:
- Electronics recycling services
- Gift cards and money off
- Second-hand ecommerce platforms
- How to Sell old & broken electronics
- What to do before selling old electronics for cash
Electronics recycling services
There are now a large number of online recycling services that buy old electronics such as laptops, cell phones and tablets. You just put in the make or model and it generates a price they will pay you.
Some well-known electronics recycling websites include:
Mazuma (UK)
Mazuma is one of the largest recycling websites for buying old electronics for cash in the UK and boasts they have brought over 5 million devices to date.
They buy a wide range of electronics such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets. They even buy used gadgets such as smartwatches and gaming consoles.
You just register your sale (type in the model number to get a quote), they give you a price, give you a free sales pack, you post the device and get paid. Couldn’t be simpler.
Music Magpie (UK)
Another large recycling website is Music Magpie. Not only do they recycle old electronics for money such as cell phones, laptops and consoles but they also buy used CD’s, DVD’s, games and books.
They also have a corporate recycling program where they will recycle old devices in bulk. Very handy if you run a business and have a cupboard full of old electronics.
Sell Cell (US- comparison website)
Sell Cell is a little different from Music MagPie and Muzuma in that it is a price comparison website for online recycling services.
It finds the best price for pretty much any type of old electronic device, from laptops and cellphones to smart home devices and wireless earphones, by aggregating all the main electronic recycling websites.
Gift cards and money off
Another way to make money recycling old electronics is to trade it in for a newer model or get gift vouchers to spend on something you may actually need.
A lot of the large well-known retailers now offer a recycling service to trade in your old devices.
Amazon
Amazon has a trade-in program that gives you an Amazon gift card or money off new devices in exchange for old devices such as Amazon kindles and Alexa’s, cell phones, video games and more.
Go to Amazons trade-in program
Best buy
Best Buy is Another big retailer that offers a similar program to Amazon, where you can exchange your old devices for a gift card to spend instore or upgrade to a newer device
Apple
For eligible devices apple will also let you trade in your old Apple devices such as iPhone’s, iPad’s and iMacs for credit off your next purchase. They pay anything from $30 for an iPhone 6s all the way up to $700 for an iPhone 12 max pro.
Go to Apple’s recycling program
Gamestop
Last but by no means least is Gamestop. They buy a good selection of used electronics for both cash and credit and according to their homepage pay up to $800 for an iPhone and $300 for an old gaming console.
You just find the product value, get a price and go to your local Gamestop and get paid. Your old device then gets repaired or restored for somebody else to use.
Go to Gamestop buyback program
Second-hand eCommerce platforms
Another great way to sell your old electronics is through online platforms that cater for buying and selling used goods.
A few to consider include:
Facebook Marketplace
Some of you may not know but Facebook has a whole ecosystem dedicated to buying and selling a huge array of second-hand goods. In fact, they are becoming one of the biggest platforms now for second-hand commerce rivalling the likes of platforms such as eBay and Craigslist.
Just tap on the storefront icon at the top of your Facebook app/desktop page and list your old electronics for sale.
Facebook groups
Another good way to sell old electronics for cash is through Facebook groups. These are groups that focus on specific interests or niches and you will find a lot that caters solely to buying and selling old electronics.
eBay, Craiglist & Gumtree
Other popular e-commerce platforms to recycle your old electrons that you are probably familiar with is eBay, Craigslist and Gumtree.
On these sites, you should be able to recycle and make money from your old devices.
How to Sell old & broken electronics
Thus far We have focused mainly on recycling services that buy old electronics that work. But what about getting cash for things like broken cell phones?
Well, there are also companies out there that will pay you even if your device doesn’t work at all.
decluttr
decluttr is the place to go to sell broken phones for cash. They have a handy checklist for what is defined as “broken” such as cracked screen; doesn’t power up; faulty buttons and keys; broken or missing battery.
Sell Broke
Sell Broke is another company that buys damaged or broken electronics. But not only do they buy broken cell phones for cash they also buy devices like broken laptops, tablets and a wide range of other electronic devices.
Bank My Cell
Similar to decluttr Bank My Cell pays cash for broken cell phones and have a slogan on their homepage which says “Sell broken phones for more”. You can get an instant quote by typing in the model number of your broken cell phone.
What to do before selling old electronics for cash
There are a few things you should also do before selling any cell phone, laptop or electronic device for money.
Delete data
First and foremost you want to delete any personal data from the phone or laptop such as images, passwords and personal details. But remember to back up anything you want to keep.
See more on how to factory reset your device before you sell it.
Cancel subscriptions
The second thing you want to do is cancel any subscriptions you don’t need anymore. Things like Netflix, Amazon or Spotify spring to mind.
Charge it up
If your device is sold as working make sure to fully charge it so that you know it’s working before you send it and the receiver can turn it on start away.
Be clear on its condition
If you are recycling your old electronics on places like Facebook Marketplace, eBay or Craigslist be clear in any advertisement if the device is working or broken (spares or repairs).
This will save time and energy dealing with unhappy buyers in the event something is not what it should be.
