Electronics are a modern connivence that have gone from luxury to necessity in a little less than twenty years. One night I was sitting out on the front porch discussing one thing or another, and I idly blurted out, How did we do that before the internet? No one had a good answer and no one seemed to even remember.
But the computers, tablets, and smartphones that connect us to the world also have a short lifespan. Most people, for instance, upgrade their phone every 18 months. Oh look brand new shiny phone. But what happens to the old one? You have a couple options: resell, a trade-in recycling program, or (if you have a lot of electronics; like computers and old monitors) call a junk removal service in Los Angeles.
Resell… If you are a frequent upgrader reselling your electronics is a profitable way to get rid of old electronics. Popular electronics, like iPads and MacBooks, tend to hold their value over time. You can frequently make up half the price of an upgrade by reselling your electronics. I’ve owned four new MacBooks and barely paid $1,200 a piece for them, because I resold my old laptop at a decent market price.
Recycle … Most companies, including Apple and Amazon, offer a trade-in option for electronics. You mail them your used electronics and accessories, and they assess a value and pay you in the form of a gift card. There are also third party electronic trade-in companies that will pay you cash (well a check or PayPal). Trading in your electronics tends to reward you with less cash but takes away the hassle of selling electronics yourself. Also trade-in programs eliminate the very real risk of meeting a criminal on Craig’s List and having your sale items stolen.
Junk Removal Services … Obviously, you wouldn’t call a junk removal service in Los Angeles to pick up an 18 month old smartphone. But if you have a pallet of 18 month old smartphones, or more likely a big office that has a lot older computers and monitors that are no longer in use a junk removal service makes sense. Junk removal services in the Los Angeles can help you dispose of large amounts of electronics. Junk removal services also recycle most of what they pick up so you can rest assured that your old electronics won’t end up back in a landfill.
Whether you resell, recycle, or use a junk removal service to get rid of your electronics, just remember one thing: Never throw old electronics in the trash. Electronics contain many hazardous materials that can harm the surrounding environment and harm wildlife.