Over the years, and consumer of technology is going to acquire a vast treasure trove of miscellaneous items that, either due to obsolescence or simply having kicked the bucket, are no longer holding any use anymore.

What are some of the more conventional ways I can recycle or upcycle my old electronics?

Nowadays several provincial, state, and municipal governments are implementing electronics recycling programs which include multiple depot drop-off locations. These are typically places that will simply take old electronics such as televisions, monitors, towers, printers, and other peripherals for repurposing. In many jurisdictions this is subsidized by a fee being charged for each electronics-class item being sold at the point of sale.

If the electronics are not broken but merely old, consider selling them to any number of possible buyers. Kijiji and Craigslist are always hungry for old odds and ends, and youâ€™d be surprised what an old Nintendo or Atari can go for on eBay if the thing still works and comes with a few rare games! Even old computers, particularly Apples, are in demand as some enthusiast and collectors look for an interesting find.

Pawn shops, yard sales, and buy / sell / trade magazines also provide opportunity to find a â€œre-useâ€ for the hardware while pocketing some money yourself.

Creative Ways to Upcycle or Recycle your Old Bits and Bytes

Old motherboards and Nintendo controllers can be re-used like youâ€™d never believe. Arts and crafts are one of the primary repurposings of old tech stuff, with a few of the more creative examples being:

Resistor earrings: Whether itâ€™s a single pale blue resistor, a resistor integrated with a larger cameo or setpiece design, or a rainbow strand of them, these little darlings have been placed all over on craft site Etsy. Your friends will certainly oooh and Ohm over these dainty designs. Random pieces of motherboard also apply. (Hey, a new use for your old sound blaster 16!)
Nintendo / Sega / Atari / Commodore Cartridges: Everything. Everything can be made from discarded common cartridges (favourites include Sonic the Hedgehog but particularly Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt). Coasters covered in purple glitter. Hard drives. Storage containers. Desk clocks. USB hubs. Check the rarity first on eBay or digital press to assure you aren't gutting yourself out of a lot of money!
Vinyl record crafts: Almost everything and anything one would imagine can be made from old vinyl LPs. From handcut vignettes of the Battle of Hoth to more traditional fare (the easiest and most common craft item made from a vinyl record is, of course, the snack bowl). Just make sure you are using old Nana Mouskouri or something similarly common instead of early Elvis.

Simply by taking the components of something you have on hand and plugging into craft engines such as Etsy will yield ideas that you may never previously have considered.

E-waste (or electronic waste) is going to be a major problem in our own country in years to come. It is already a major waste problem in Asia and contributes to massive amounts of pollution and poor work environments. Be green. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle your way to the top of the trash heap!

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