Recycling E-Waste for Cash Is Easy

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Apr 23, 2013, 12:20 ET

New U.S. Postal Service video shows customers how to 'get green' while going green

Click here to view the video.

WASHINGTON , April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To support this year's Earth Day theme of e-waste recycling, the U.S. Postal Service recently released a consumer video that demonstrates how easy it is to recycle cell phones, MP3 players and tablets through the MaxBack buyback program. The video walks viewers through the simple steps of searching online to find the value of an old cell phone and how to recycle it — oftentimes for cash.

Specially marked kiosks, located in more than 3,100 Post Offices, are also featured in the video. The kiosks provide details about selling items through MaxBack.com and dispense free mail-back envelopes for recycling empty inkjet cartridges.

Since the launch of the inkjet recycling program last fall, customers have recycled more than 31,000 inkjet cartridges. "By encouraging customers to recycle their unwanted electronics in a responsible manner, the Postal Service is helping reduce the amount of new waste sent to landfills," said Chief Sustainability Officer Thomas G. Day.

Customers can learn more about the MaxBack program and recycling their inkjet cartridges by visiting www.usps.com/return-for-good. Getting started with the MaxBack program is simple:

Search for your cell phone, MP3 player or tablet on MaxBack.com
Receive and accept your instant quote
Mail it for FREE using the prepaid Priority Mail shipping label
Once they receive the item, they'll inspect it and send you cash fast

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 350,000 cell phones and 130,000 computers are thrown out every day, equating to 3-4 million tons of e-waste per year. According to environmental website Earth911.com, 70 percent of discarded electronics have materials that can be recovered and repurposed.

In 2012, the Postal Service recycled 1,267 tons of its own e-waste-related materials, as well as more than 250,000 tons of other materials, including wastepaper, cardboard, cans and plastics. The latter traditional recycling efforts generated revenue and avoided landfill fees, for a combined total of $49.5 million.

"The Postal Service is committed to being a sustainability leader," said Day. "By creating a culture of conservation and leading the adoption of sustainable business practices, we can encourage our employees, customers and suppliers to become more responsible environmental stewards."

To learn more about the Postal Service's sustainability initiatives, purchase Go Green Forever Stamps or view the Maxback program video, visit usps.com/green.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 152 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With more than 31,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private-sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for seven years and the fourth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Follow the Postal Service on twitter.com/USPS and at facebook.com/USPS.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service