Gazelle purchases unwanted electronics, such as cell phones, game systems, and mp3 players, from consumers and recycles the products.
When the iPad 2 came out, within a couple of weeks about 10,000 people sent in their old versions to Gazelle.com, receiving about half the cost of the new iPad from the recycling company. Today the company recycles the following products:
Blu-Ray Players - Desktops - Gaming Consoles - Movies - Tablets - Calculators - Digital Cameras - Home Audio - PDAs - Video Games - Camcorders - E-Readers - LCD Monitors - Projectors - Camera - Lenses - External Drives - Laptops - Satellite Radios - Cell Phones - GPS Devices - MP3 Players - Streaming Media.
Gazelle & its partners support the EPA's "R2" initiatives for responsible recycling practices:
- Develop and use a management system that covers environmental, worker safety and public health practices on-site and downstream management of end-of-life (EOL) equipment and materials;
- Establish a policy that promotes reuse and materials recovery for EOL equipment and materials; Comply with environmental, health, and safety legal requirements, both domestically and internationally, that are applicable to the recyclers' operations; Use practices to reduce exposures and emissions during recycling operations; Export focus materials only to foreign countries that accept them.
- Focus materials are: cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and CRT glass; circuit boards; batteries; and items containing mercury and/or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), both in EOL equipment and when separated as components; Send EOL equipment and all material derived from this equipment, that contain focus materials only to facilities that are properly licensed to receive these materials, and use technology designed to safely and effectively manage these materials - whether in the U.S. or another country;
- Ensure that materials going for reuse are refurbished and tested for functionality, and residual focus materials are managed responsibly;
- Ensure that personal data on EOL electronics going to reuse or recycling are cleared or destroyed; and Track throughput and keep records; store and transport material securely and safely; and possess insurance, closure plans, and financial mechanisms to cover the potential risks of the facility.
Today, Gazelle has grown to be America's largest electronics reCommerce company, saving more than 100,000 gadgets each year. But this isn’t just about preventing e-Waste. This is about changing the way we all think about buying, owning, selling, and recycling.
