Thursday, March 26, 2009 » The 1920 Gallery Apple Store is collecting old computers, iPods and cell phones for recycling, giving students the opportunity to earn cash back or store credit.
The campus Apple Retail Store started collecting these technologies Feb. 17 as a part of the official Apple Recycling Program. According to its Web site, Apple created the program in order to minimize environmental waste.
“It really benefits the student [monetarily] . . . as well as the environment because it is being taken care of properly,” said Rachel Marconi, Apple Coordinator at the campus store.
Students can bring their old laptops or desktop computers to the store where things like memory usage will be examined, then given a monetary value.
Students who receive money for their old Mac or PC can get in-store credit. If they plan to buy a new computer, they can subtract the value from any in-store Mac. On top of Apple’s education discount for students and teachers, this is the most money that students can save on a new Mac computer, said Marconi.
Cell phones and iPods have no fees or rewards for recycling. However, the first 20 people to donate iPods will receive $10 off a new one. If an old computer has no monetary value, students can pay $10-15 to dispose of it properly.
“[My computer] went out of commission a long time ago, but I have never had the heart to just put it in the trash,” said Heather Westbrook who took her 1999 Compac laptop to the store for examination. It did not have any monetary value, but she chose to recycle it anyway.
“I have been trying to find a way to recycle it for a couple of years, so when I heard about this program I was more than willing to participate,” Westbrook said.
Students are encouraged to recycle their technology even if it’s not worth any money. According to the Apple Web site, in 2008, Apple recycled 30.5 million pounds of electronic waste.
“I’m not sure every student understands the importance of not just taking an old laptop and throwing it in a Dumpster and the effects that can have upon the environment,” said Marconi.