Apple expands recycle program, receive gift cards for iPhone, iPad and even PC trade-ins

By Jeff Hughes August 10, 2011

Got some old tech taking up space? Apple has recently revised the company’s Reuse and Recycling Program, extending it to include the iPhone and iPad as well as giving consumers more incentive to recycle.

Alongside the Apple devices, the Cupertino-based company is allowing people to bring in Macs of all sorts, as well as non-Apple computers and even displays. All recycled for free, regardless of manufacturer. On top of that, if your tech has any trade-in value you could score a modicum of monetary return in the form of an Apple Gift card.

The gift card is good for the “fair market value” of your trade-in; so it’s possible to obtain a $170 gift card for a perfect 16GB 3G iPad worth, or $80 for a blameless 8GB 3G iPhone. Simply head over to the Reuse and Recycle site and input the defining characteristics of your device. You’ll get free packaging and shipping for the run-down tech, and you’ll be able to use the trade-in gift card at any Apple retail store or the online store.

The previous recycling program rules cost consumers $30 for shipping to trade-in an old PC, unless you were upgrading from a PC to an Apple computer. The company is continuing with the free by-mail iPod and mobile phones (all manufacturers) recycling, and if you bring in an old iPod you’ll still get 10 percent off the purchase of a new one.

Apple uses PowerOn for all trade-ins, and the company sends valueless items over to WeRecyle. PowerOn will contact you if there are any discrepancies between actual value and the quoted value. If you decide you want to keep your old iPhone after the fact, PowerOn will ship it right back to you for no charge.

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I'm a SF Bay Area-based writer/ninja that loves anything geek, tech, comic, social media or gaming-related.

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