Green Apple: The Tech Giant Expands Its Recycling Program in Europe

For a company that makes its bones off of making its own products seem outdated every six months or so, Apple seems committed to recycling used electronics. Apple expanded its recycling program in the UK, France, and Germany; now, the company has (or at least participates in) such programs all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Costa Rica, Australia, the Asia Pacific, Japan, India, the Middle East, and Africa.

The various programs differ somewhat; for example, you can get some money back for your electronics in the form of a gift card in North America, but in Europe, you can get cash deposited directly into your bank account. In Europe, a company called Dataserv is handling the grunt work, including determining the value of devices to be recycled.


According to Apple’s UK recycling site, Dataserv will send you a pre-paid shipping label. Once they receive your device, they’ll deposit a certain amount of money into your bank account.

The website states:

Apple’s commitment to the environment includes finding the most efficient ways to reuse or recycle electronic equipment at the end of its useful life, including iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC computers, and displays from any manufacturer. You may even get some money for your old equipment.

Accepted devices include iPhones, iPads, notebooks, and even desktops, including some non-Apple products. It’s hard to gauge exactly how much money you can get back for a given device, but it’s really just icing on the cake. The real benefit is that you can be glad you’re helping dispose of old electronics responsibly--fossil fuel consumption for devices in transit notwithstanding.