Best Buy changes in-store recycling program

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According to a post on the Best Buy coprporate website by Laura Bishop, the company's vice president of public affairs and sustainability, the retailer has made changes to its in-store recycling program.

“We are now charging customers $25 for each TV and computer monitor they recycle at our stores,” Bishop writes. “And in two states—Illinois and Pennsylvania—we are no longer recycling these particular products because of laws that prevent us from collecting fees to help run our program. All other products—such as batteries, ink cartridges, computers, printers and hundreds of other items—continue to be recycled for free at all of our stores.”

She goes on to state that Best Buy voluntarily has operated a comprehensive electronics recycling service in the United States since 2009. “We remain an industry leader and the only national retailer to provide this service. We are fully committed to being a convenient local resource for people to safely dispose of their consumer electronics and appliances,” Bishop writes. “From time to time, though, we will make changes to ensure the service itself is sustainable, including charging fees to recycle certain products for which recycling costs have risen sharply. And we will continue to work closely with the consumer electronics industry to develop more and better recycling options.”

She explains that the retailer’s goal has been to “simply break even” on its recycling program, adding “we’re not there today.”

The new fees are intended to help cover what Bishop describes as “the increasing cost of managing TV and monitor disposal through our network of stores, distribution centers and recycling partners.” She adds, “E-waste volume is rising, commodity prices are falling and global outlets for recycled glass, a key component of TVs and monitors, have dramatically declined. More and more cities and counties have cut their recycling programs for budget reasons, limiting consumer options even further. While providing recycling solutions for our customers is a priority, Best Buy should not be the sole e-cycling provider in any given area, nor should we assume the entire cost.”

Bishop says Best Buy is “particularly disappointed that we can no longer help our customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania with TV and monitor recycling simply because these state laws restrict retailers from operating recycling programs where nominal fees are charged to help offset rising costs.”

More information about the items Best Buy accepts for recycling is available at www.bestbuy.com/recycle.