It has been an uphill climb to get companies to offer takeback recycling programs for their old products, with many charging customers to recycle or offering little to no monetary incentives for people to dispose of their electronics responsibly.

That is why it is so refreshing to learn about Sprint’s comprehensive buy-back and reuse program for its mobile devices.

Sprint’s wireless recycling programs help to prevent thousands of tons of wireless equipment from entering the waste stream. More than 90% of the phones collected are reused. Any equipment not capable of being reused is recycled.

The buy-back program is definitely the most attractive option for those looking to upgrade to a new phone, so I decided to test it out. After entering my Sprint phone number (I actually use Credo Mobile, which is powered by the Sprint Network), I was asked to choose my phone’s make and model from a drop-down menu. In two easy clicks, I had a cash offer of $28! And, I love that users are given the option to apply the buy-back amount to a future phone bill.

If your phone is too old to qualify for a cash offer, you can still recycle it through Sprint’s Project Connect: a free service for anyone who has wireless phones, batteries, accessories and data cards no longer used. All makes and models are accepted, regardless of carrier or condition. To recycle your wireless device, pick up a free, postage-paid envelope at any authorized Sprint store nationwide. Or, print the free, prepaid shipping label on the program’s website.

All net proceeds generated from the sale of equipment collected through Sprint Project Connect go to fund and promote free Internet safety resources for kids, parents and educators.

Apple measures its recycling rate by calculating the total weight recycled in a given year and then dividing that by the weight sold seven years earlier. When Jobs first announced Apple’s sustainability goals, he said that the company would raise its recycling rate from 9.5 percent in 2006 to 28 percent in 2010. Needless to say, the company far surpassed its goals. Due to the high increase, Apple Insider reports that there are rumors that the next-gen iPhone could return to its original aluminum casing.

The CEO of aluminum company Alcoa, Klaus Kleinfeld, told Apple Insider that aluminum is “infinitely recyclable,” and that 75 percent of all aluminum created since 1888 is still in active use today. Recycled aluminum requires a mere 5 percent of the energy needed to produce new aluminum, and the process produces 95 percent less greenhouse gas emissions.

Alcoa is projecting a large increase in the amount of aluminum used in electronics, citing the company’s new 10 percent stake in e-waste collector Electronic Recyclers International as a reason.

When the iPad 2 came out, many (including Inhabitat) questioned how green the product actually is. A lot of the discussion focused on whether or not iPad users would convert to reading all magazines and books on the reader. But given the benefits that Apple has found just from using aluminum in its electronics, it’s easy to see that Apple’s aluminum encased electronics are definitely greener than their plastic-covered counterparts.

Source: Inhabitat (via Environmental Leader)

By Jessica Dailey

As members of the Coalition, Waste Management Recycle America and Alcoa endorse passage of the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, introduced last June. This legislation prohibits U.S. export of certain electronic waste (e-waste) to developing countries that lack safeguards to protect the environment and workers, and supports the expansion of the U.S. recycling industry.

“The addition of industry leading cornerstone organizations such as Waste Management and Alcoa is further proof of a growing consensus that the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act is good for business and will create much-needed jobs and enhance sustainability,” said John Shegerian, co-founder and President, Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) and CAER steering committee member. “Our members are committed to growing an American industry with the capacity to manage e-waste generated within our borders and the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs in every part of the country. We’re extremely proud to have Waste Management and Alcoa join alongside us to support this crucial alliance.”

“Waste Management Recycle America is excited to join with fellow members of the e-waste community in pushing for passage of this bill. We believe strongly in limiting the export of hazardous electronic waste,” said Bill Caesar, President of WM Recycle America. “Waste Management continues to grow the e-cycling business that is critical to reaching our goal of managing more than 20 million tons of recyclables each year by 2020.”

“Alcoa’s partnership with the largest electronics recycler in the U.S., Electronic Recyclers International, provides both an economic and environmental solution to e-waste,” said Kevin Anton, Alcoa Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.  “Aluminum use in the consumer electronics industry is growing rapidly due to its unique properties as an infinitely recyclable, light weight and heat conductive material. Alcoa is driving sustainable practices by supporting the reuse of aluminum and other materials across the consumer electronics industry.”

With the addition of Alcoa and Waste Management, CAER now includes 48 companies with facilities in 32 states and the District of Columbia. Visit the CAER website for a complete member list.

CAER is committed to growing an American industry with the capacity to manage the volume of e-waste generated within its borders, creating good jobs and expanded trade. For more information about HR 2284/SB1270, visit the CAER website, which includes links to the full text of each bill.

Printers are common appliances in our homes and businesses. While we try to eliminate printing on paper whenever possible, these devices are still an essential part of good record keeping, and they come in awfully handy when you need to print a coupon or driving directions.

Still, printers are electronics, and that means they pose a special challenge to those who would rather recycle them than throw them away. And even if your printer is still in good working condition, it’s likely that you use up an ink cartridge or two every couple of months. When you think of all the printers in homes and offices around the world, this adds up to a lot of potentially hazardous waste.

Although the progress has been slow, many major printer companies now offer takeback recycling programs for ink and toner cartridges, and in some cases, the printers themselves.

Here are four you should know about:

Epson recycling program

What’s accepted? Epson printers and scanners, digital cameras, laptops, computers and projectors, as well as ink and toner cartridges.

Shipping materials provided? No, customers are required to provide their own shipping materials and shoulder the cost of FedEx shipping.

Incentive? Although the 2010 Electronics Take Back Report Card states that Epson provides a $5 coupon in exchange for printer recycling, there is no mention of this on the official site.

Lexmark recycling program

What’s accepted? All Lexmark-branded hardware, as well as ink and toner cartridges.

Shipping materials provided? No shipping materials are provided for hardware recycling, but customers are allowed to use whatever shipping materials and method they prefer. However, postage-paid shipping materials are available for mailing to those returning inkjet cartridges and toner laser cartridges.

Incentive? None

Kodak trade-in and recycling program

What’s accepted? All brands of consumer model printers, in addition to digital cameras and video cameras, digital photo frames and film cameras.

Shipping materials provided? Yes, prepaid shipping labels are provided.

Incentive? Yes! First, list your equipment using Kodak’s instant quote system. If you accept the quote provided, you’ll be mailed a check and bonus Kodak store offer upon receipt and inspection. If your used equipment does not have a purchase value, Kodak will provide options for responsible recycling.

Canon recycling program

What’s accepted? All Canon-brand consumer products and the imageCLASS and imageFORMULA small office/home office product lines. Note: To take back old equipment, Canon uses a mailback system and charges a $12 fee. Printer ink cartridges, however, can be dropped off at any FedEx Office Print and Ship Center for free recycling.

Shipping materials provided? A shipping label is provided via email once you’ve paid the recycling fee.

Incentive? None

I’m pretty dedicated to reuse, particularly when it comes to electronics. It depresses me to think about all the plastic, precious metals and other items that go into modern gadgets.

Congratulations on purchasing a new printer. Now recycle this!

However, I’d been pestering my co-worker to let me use her scanner practically every day, and when I found out that the company had a printer/scanner/copier sitting in storage, I jumped at the chance to use it.

I started to reconsider that decision as soon as I opened the box. I was immediately confronted with layer upon layer of plastic, Styrofoam and other packaging materials.

I groused about all this waste while I was setting up the machine and waiting for the software to install. I was going to have to find a good home for everything in the box, and how long was that going to take me? Would it be expensive and entail driving all over town?

As it turned out, the whole process wasn’t as bad as I thought. In total, the packaging for my printer took up about 1.3 cubic feet of space. Most of that was the cardboard box, so once the box was broken down the pile looked like less intimidating. In total, it weighed less than 2.5 pounds.

By far, the heaviest part of the packaging was cardboard, which I broke down and put in the recycling bin at my office. The installation manual (written in four languages) and an advertising flier went into the paper recycling can. If I’d been at home, the items could have gone into my wheelie bin.

My company happens to be the only Styrofoam recycler in the area, so finding a home for the two pieces that held the printer was easy.

The printer and its various cords were covered in plastic, but most of it was marked #4, which my local recycling center accepts. It’s a 15-minute drive from my office, but there is no charge to leave recyclables. The bag that held the printer looked like a plastic shopping bag, so in a pinch I could have taken it to a grocery store.

Now I was down to the hard stuff. The spongy plastic that was protecting the glass top of the scanner had no immediately apparent home. Since the Christmas season was coming up, I cheated and kept it to wrap around fragile gifts. I also kept the twist ties that held the plastic bags closed since they can be reappropriated to the kitchen or garage. The tape over the toner cartridges went into the trash.

I also couldn’t identify any way to recycle the wrappers that held the toner cartridges. Kelly Bell, who runs our local Master Recycler Program, said she isn’t aware of a local resource for recycling what she calls “space age candy wrappers.” The technology exists (check out Agilyx, which converts all kinds of plastic to fuel), but no one in this area is collecting it. Her suggestion? Turn the plastic wrappers inside out so the metallic silver coating shows, and use them as gift-wrap. Not sure I’m crazy about that idea, but I’ll hang onto them for a little while and see if I can use them when I make greeting cards.

Finding a home for my old printer shouldn’t be hard. It works great, so I’m sure someone else in my office will scoop it up. If not, I could take it to Next Step Recycling, a local electronics recycler. Next Step accepts small laser printers for a $7 fee.

It took less than an hour to locate recyclers and deliver the items to various places around town. I drove a total of 11.6 miles (although it would have been slightly more if I could not recycle Styrofoam at work). The only thing that ended up going in the trash was a tiny bit of tape.

Overall, I was impressed by how easy it was to recycle the printer’s packaging. Yet there are still a few things manufacturers can do better:

• It would be nice if the company would put a number on the entire plastic wrap, not just some of it, to clear up confusion about how it should be recycled.
• The setup manual was quite large since it was written in four languages. The printer also came with an installation CD, which is one more item I’ll need to recycle when the printer dies. It seems like it would be easier and less wasteful to have instructions and software available for download from the company’s website.
• Several of the plastic bags were larger than they really needed to be, so the company could simply make them smaller in size. (I bought a printer for my house earlier this year and was impressed that it was wrapped in a reusable grocery bag rather than a plastic bag. Cool idea.)
• Figure out a way to recycle those darn space-age candy wrappers. Maybe in a way that involves giving me some actual candy.

In February 2009, Staples became the first national retailer to offer an ink and toner recycling program that rewards customers for recycling any brand or type of cartridge. As well as reducing the waste going to landfills and saving resources, if you recycle your ink or toner cartridges with Staples, you will receive $2 back in Staples Rewards for cartridges you return to its stores (up to 10 cartridges per customer each month). The rewards can be used on any Staples purchase in store, online or over the phone.

The program also allows Staples’ drivers to pick up spent cartridges for recycling directly from Staples Advantage customers when delivering their office supplies.

Even before 2009, Staples was already a leader in ink and toner cartridge recycling — the company recycled more than 22 million of these units in 2008. With this program expansion, Staples hoped to continue keeping millions of cartridges out of landfills. In 2010, the company collected more than 63 million cartridges for recycling.

Staples’ customer-based recycling efforts are global. Here are a few examples:

• In Canada, Staples supports a Recycle for Education campaign, with each eligible ink and toner cartridge recycled in its retail stores. In 2010, more than 2 million cartridges were collected from retail locations. Since the program began in 2004, the program has raised more than $2.7 million for public schools in Canada. The goal is to collect 2 million ink and toner cartridges in 2011 through the program. Staples also collects ink and toner cartridges from its Canadian Staples Advantage business customers through driver pick-up programs.
• In the U.K., Staples supports ChildLine, a nonprofit organization that provides counseling services for children and young people, with £1 (about $1.55 at press time) donated for each cartridge, plus a discount extended to customers for a future purchase.
• Staples Australia also has a program for delivery customers linking charitable donations to ink and toner recycling.

Staples’ current recycling program, part of its EcoEasy commitment, also collects cell phones, PDAs, computers and office equipment. In 2008, in addition to recycling the aforementioned 22 million ink and toner cartridges, the company also recycled approximately 4 million pounds of electronic waste.

For more information, visit staples.com.

In our complex world, good ideas often lead to unintended consequences that create new problems. This perpetuates a cycle of the need for additional remedies to correct the problems created by previous government interventions.

For example, the plastic bag ban in San Francisco did not lead consumers to begin using reusable bags. They just switched to paper. Knowing that paper has its own significant environmental problems, San Francisco is now trying to ban paper bags as well.

Likewise, according to the EPA, single-use plastic bags account for only a fraction of landfill mass. Keep America Beautiful recently conducted a scientific study on litter in the U.S. It turns out plastic bags only accounted for 0.6% of the litter. It was such a small percentage that it did not make the top 10 list of prominent litter items.

So, we wondered, how does a ban on something that has such a small waste footprint help solve our environmental problems?

We are not suggesting that single-use bag use should not be moderated, however, the growing hysteria to ban what seems to be more of a symbol than a real problem is troubling because it ignores the real issue. We cannot ban all plastics, so we need to focus energy on learning how to recycle them better and make products out of that recycled material.

We are not going to live in a world without paper towel or toilet paper wrap, newspaper bags, dry cleaning liners or even bread bags, so the banning strategy is shortsighted and ultimately will not make a difference.

In 2005, Command Packaging began studying the dilemma and searched for a solution. The key argument with plastic bags was the inability to recycle these products cost effectively. So, in 2009, we started a recycling business dedicated to collecting, cleaning and recycling thin plastic material such as bags and industrial plastics.

Our goal was to determine whether large amounts of thin plastic material could affordably be recycled into other flexible plastic products. The answer was an unequivocal yes! Today, we are recycling millions of pounds of plastic every year and manufacturing useful, reusable packaging solutions like our True Reusable Bags from that recycled material.

While it is exciting to create a new American industry and green manufacturing jobs, the development of True Reusable Bags also has created a model of how we can make plastics greener without penalizing consumers or costing Americans more jobs. The solution is available, however, it takes a commitment from grocers, waste haulers and consumers to participate in the process of making a useful product out of plastic trash.

More people need to understand that flexible plastic can be and is being recycled. Consumers need to understand that choosing useful American-made products like True Reusable Bags instead of creating a new class of plastic products (as we are doing with the imported non-woven plastic reusable bags from China), is a better way for consumers to do their part. It also sends a message to stores and governments that the free market can solve problems without more government intrusion.

Change does not happen quickly. It will be an evolution for grocers, waste haulers and consumers to see the benefits of a closed-loop program like True Reusable Bags. Recycling plastic trash and turning it into a great product and repeating this closed-loop process over and over is the obvious solution to reducing plastic waste in our environment. Its time will come.

Erin Grande, Environmental Program Director, True Reusable Bags

To learn more about our movement to reduce plastic waste and promote American-made reusable bags through a closed-loop recycling solution, please visit our websites, commandpackaging.com or truereusablebags.com, to see all of the great things we are doing to create a plastic recycling culture in the U.S.

Erin Grande is the Environmental Program Director for True Reusable bags. In her role, she educates the public about acting responsibly through closed-loop recycling to reduce waste. She implements and oversees plastic film recycling programs for businesses and schools around the U.S.

So, how do you make a farmers’ market greener? Just add recycling.

That’s what the Memphis (TN) Farmers’ Market did starting in 2008. The market in Tennessee’s largest city implemented an environmental policy that included making it easier for shoppers to recycle, reuse and compost products while shopping at the weekly event.

Market officials put out bins so attendees could recycle their aluminum cans and plastic containers. Vendors sell coffee in compostable cups, which are collected and added to compost piles. The information table sells reusable shopping bags so customers stop relying on paper and plastic ones.

To help shoppers continue recycling at home, the market occasionally offers recycling bins, Earth Machine composters and educational materials. The program seems to be working — in 2009, the market recycled and composted more than 1,000 pounds of material.

The farmers market in Brighton, NY, a suburb just south of Rochester, is another example of successfully combining recycling with fresh fruit and veggie sales.

Color Brighton Green, a nonprofit organization that educates consumers about reducing carbon emissions, helped start the farmers market in 2007. One of the group’s major contributions is setting up a booth that accepts hard-to-recycle items such as CDs and DVDs, candy wrappers, batteries, crayons, cosmetics packaging and other items. Volunteers staff the table.

“We’re very happy to have them at the market,” says Sue Gardner Smith, Market Manager. “People are crazy about the recycling booth. They’re really a draw.”

They’re also a force for change. Up until 2010, Monroe County (which includes Brighton) only accepted plastics numbers 1 and 2 in its curbside program. Color Brighton Green took plastics numbers 3 through 7 at the market, and they were some of the most popular items for recycling. It also meant volunteers were hauling home bags and bags of the material. Pointing to the success of the program, Color Brighton Green convinced the county to start collecting more plastic at the curb. Today, Monroe County residents can put plastics numbers 1 through 7 in their curbside bins.

In 2011, the City of Williamsburg, VA, sent its recycling coordinator to the local farmers market to collect batteries and trade plastic bags for reusable bags. She also spent time educating people about the city’s Green Williamsburg program, including the curbside recycling program, water conservation and BikeWalk to Work Day.

Why push recycling at produce markets? Maybe cities, counties and nonprofits figure people who want to support local farmers are more willing to recycle. Or maybe they just figure it’s a good way to reach more people. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets in the U.S. more than quadrupled between 1994 and 2011 as the demand for fresh, local food has increased. Expect that number to continue to increase in 2012 and beyond.

So, what to do with old TVs, phones, games and the like? As they are often loaded with lead, arsenic or other dangerous chemicals, electronics do not belong in the trash! More and more people are learning that old electronics must be carefully recycled as hazardous waste.

But what most people don’t know is that most companies that call themselves electronics recyclers are not really recyclers at all. They are global e-waste dumpers. The vast majority of companies and organizations touting themselves as environmentally friendly “recyclers” are just selling this highly toxic scrap to brokers, who then ship to developing countries in African and Asia where all this waste is broken down in highly dangerous and destructive ways, creating what 60 Minutes calls “the most toxic places on earth” (see www.ban.org/photogallery).

So, how to tell the difference between “good” and “fake” e-recyclers? It used to be difficult for even the most conscientious consumer. But now there is a simple choice, thanks to a new program that certifies responsible e-recyclers. Only Certified e-Stewards Recyclers ensure your e-waste will not be exported to developing countries but rather recycled by the most secure practices in the world.

The e-Stewards® Recycler Certification Program was developed by a leading environmental watchdog, the Basel Action Network (BAN), to give consumers and other generators of e-waste an easy, simple way of finding responsible recyclers. Only Certified e-Stewards Recyclers may display the e-Stewards logo, and these business leaders can be found on the e-Stewards website at www.e-Stewards.org. A convenient zip code search can help you find an e-Stewards Recycler near you.

“The sad by-product of our high-tech world is that we are creating mountains of this growing source of toxic waste, and too many electronics recyclers do not recycle the material at all, but simply throw it into a seagoing container and export it to destinations like China, India and Africa,” said e-Stewards Business Director Lauren Roman. “In these developing countries, your old computer or TV will be smashed, melted, and burned in highly dangerous and polluting operations by a desperately impoverished and unprotected workforce.”

BAN was the first to document the cyber-age nightmare of the global e-waste trade and has since led teams from PBS’s Frontline and CBS’s 60 Minutes to the global e-Wastelands of Africa and China. Despite exposing these horrors, BAN investigators continue to witness and track countless containers of e-waste leaving North American shores destined for third-world countries.

The United States is the only developed country in the world that does not strictly control the export of hazardous waste. For this reason, major corporations such as Hewlett Packard, Apple, and Dell have joined BAN, the Electronic TakeBack Coalition and 34 electronics recycling companies to promote legislation to ban hazardous e-waste exports. Until proper laws are passed, consumers are safe in using only e-Stewards Recyclers.

“We all need to do our part to spread good will on earth and not toxic e-waste,” said Roman. “In 2012, let’s be sure to entrust our e-recycling only to those companies that handle e-waste without harming others: Certified e-Stewards Recyclers.”

For more information contact:
Lauren Roman at BAN in Seattle: 1.206.652-5555, lroman@ban.org

Jim Puckett at BAN in Seattle 1.206.354.0391, jpuckett@ban.org

Sims Metal Management Ltd.’s electronics recycling division, Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS), favors the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act (H.R. 2284) introduced in the House of Representatives, according to a press release by the Coalition for American Electronics Recycling (CAER).

“SRS supports an export ban on whole waste electronics as a means of driving export-oriented ‘bad actors’ from the U.S. domestic industry,” a Sims spokesman confirmed. “Waste should be handled and converted into commodities domestically until such time as global standards exist and are enforceable.”

With the addition of SRS, CAER now includes 34 U.S. companies, representing 89 facilities, it said. Formed this past summer, the group has not set up a headquarters yet, according to Wendy Neu, a member of the steering committee. “We are in the process of formalizing,” she said.

Electronics manufacturers, including Apple Inc., Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., are also said to support the measure, which could create tens of thousands of jobs through the expansion of the domestic recycling industry.

“The addition of these industry leaders reflects the growing consensus that the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act is good for business and will create much-needed jobs and enhance sustainability,” John S. Shegerian, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Fresno, Calif.-based Electronic Recyclers International, Inc., said. “Our members are committed to growing an American industry with the capacity to manage e-waste generated within our borders and the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs in every part of the country.”

The bill is seeking to restrict toxic e-waste exports to developing countries that lack safeguards to protect the environment and workers. But the bill would benefit the United States as well, said David Zimet, president of Hesstech LLC, Edison, N.J.

“The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act will enable American recyclers to make new investments in facilities and personnel necessary to legitimize and grow an American industry and position America as a leader in global markets,” he said.

Source: American Metal Market

By Lisa Gordon

According to the Entertainment Software Association, eight computer and/or video games were sold on average every second of every day in 2010, equaling a total of 257.2 million for the year. And this number is only increasing. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the North American video game market will continue growing by approximately 5% annually through 2015.

Are you giving or did you receive gaming devices or games this holiday season? If so, what happens to the old ones? Surely there are games that aren’t played anymore, and of course are frequent console upgrades as well, so it’s time to clean out.

But before you put them on the curb, you must check out Gazelle. As we’ve mentioned previously, Gazelle is a “reCommerce” business that buys and recycles used electronics. The company accepts more than 250,000 products, gaming consoles and video games included.

Even if Gazelle cannot offer money for trading in your Atari, it will still recycle it free of charge.

Since its inception, Gazelle has kept more than 300 million tons of electronics out of the landfill. The company believes that recycling starts with reuse and works to extend the lives of our used electronics by selling them through retail and wholesale outlets.

Thankfully for us, the process is quite easy. Simply click on the category that you want to recycle, choose your item, and Gazelle will tell you how much it’s worth. Payment is made to you via three options: Amazon gift card (which comes in handy this time of year), a check or PayPal payment. Unfortunately for us, the Atari Flashback isn’t worth anything, but Gazelle says to ship it off anyway and it will recycle the console responsibly for us.

Come 2012, when you’re basking in your newest pixelated adventure and getting ready to clean out, remember Gazelle. The company has grown to be the nation’s largest electronics reCommerce company, saving more than 100,000 gadgets each year. So, why are you pitching those electronics when you can get paid good money for them?

Some companies really get it. Not only do they try to provide the best product or service, but they also try to do their part to be responsible throughout the life of their products. One of those companies is Nintendo.

As stated on the company’s site, “Video game products have a significant nostalgic value and are still fun to play and own even decades after they’re first purchased. Unlike other electronics, such as cell phones, computers and televisions, video game systems are usually kept, resold, or handed down to family and friends.” Nintendo goes on to say that it sees a “very limited demand to dispose of video game products.”

That being said, Nintendo of America offers a number of options to get the most out of your video games while also offering recycling options to help minimize the waste of video game products. Here’s how:

• If your system is no longer working, Nintendo offers reasonably priced repairs on many systems. This includes systems that are no longer being sold new at retailers, like Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems.
• Nintendo offers a takeback program for consumers and businesses. The company recycles Nintendo hardware, software, accessories and rechargeable batteries. It also accepts other companies’ video game consoles for recycling if you’ve purchased a Nintendo console. Added bonus: The takeback program uses a network of FedEx locations across the country to ship the products for free.
• Nintendo remanufactures or refurbishes the returned products and uses them for repair and replacement programs, and also for sales into some secondary markets.
• Nintendo recycles close to 100% of the materials from any returned products or repair parts that cannot be reused and partners with certified recyclers to ensure that responsible recycling practices are used.

According to Nintendo, in 2010, Nintendo of America processed 860 tons of returned products in the U.S. and Canada, of which 65% was reused and 35% recycled.

For more information and further instruction on how to recycle or repair Nintendo products, visit nintendo.com/consumer/recycle.jsp.

As always, if you are recycling locally, make sure you use a recycler committed to supporting environmental stewardship and recycling in a responsible way.