FAQs

Recycling your devices helps reduce electronic waste, conserves natural resources, and prevents harmful substances from polluting the environment. These devices contain toxic substances like lead, mercury, nickel and arsenic. If they are thrown away in the trash they will degrade, and these substances can pollute the environment and water, harming wildlife, and people. Recycling these devices ensures they do not harm our environment. Your devices also contain rare earth minerals like gold, silicon, and other elements that are difficult or dangerous to mine. By recycling your devices, you are enabling these minerals to be collected and used again, and reducing the need for mining.

Your old electronics will be sent to one of our R2 certified recycling partners to be either recycled according to the highest standards, or data-wiped and resold if value remains. We ensure that every device returned to us is completely erased for reuse, or properly recycled so that none of the harmful metals and plastics end up in the environment.

ReturnCenter is proud to support the organizations listed on our site. If you choose to donate the value of your device to one of the organizations listed on this site, ReturnCenter will contribute any value of your device that is greater than the costs of processing. Processing costs include shipping, receiving items, destroying data, assessing value for reuse, administrative costs and reselling devices or components. Any value that exceeds these costs will be donated.

ReturnCenter does not provide any value estimate of your device or any potential donation amount. Your decision to claim a donation amount for tax purposes is solely at your discretion.

Recycling programs cost money to run. Costs associated with this program include shipping and receiving items, destroying data, assessing value for reuse, administrative costs and reselling devices or components. We try to keep costs down while doing our part to help clean up the environment.

Yes, ReturnCenter offers IT equipment packing, pickup and transportation services for business. To learn more about our services for larger, more complex pick-ups, remote users and multiple programs, please contact us.

You can send mobile phones, tablets, or laptops and their charging cords. At this time, we are not able to accept desktop computers, monitors, gaming devices, keyboards, mice or other peripherals. Stay in touch for news as we expand to other devices.

We accept all makes and models of mobile phones and smartphones. This includes flip phones, android smartphones and Apple iPhones. We will accept them in any condition, working or broken.

Yes! We accept all mobile phones, regardless of age or type.

We accept all makes and models of laptops, in any condition, working or broken.

We accept all makes and models of tablets, in any condition, working or broken.

Not at all. We can recycle all mobile phones, tablets and laptops, working or not. If you wish to donate the value of your equipment, we will ensure sure your data is destroyed.

No, just ship back your device and any charging cords you wish us to recycle. Please dispose of the original box and manuals according to your municipal recycling procedures. If you wish to use your original box to ship your device, please remove excess paperwork and packaging.

Yes! You can donate the residual value of your returned electronics to any one of a number of non-profits that we work with. You will be able to see the options and select the specific charity during checkout. You cannot donate your actual device to a charity, only the value. If the device has no value, we will properly destroy any remaining data and recycle it.

Along with mobile phones, you can donate the value of your used tablets and laptops. If the device has no value, we will properly recycle it.

You can send several devices at a time. You will be asked how many devices you wish to return, and our system will send you the correct number and/or size of envelopes to fit your returns.

ReturnCenter takeback services are available in every US zip code. Stay in touch for news as we expand to other countries.

It’s easy to return your old mobile phone, tablet or laptop for recycling. Simply enter your details online and you will be mailed a padded return envelope and pre-paid label. Insert your device into the padded envelope, apply the return label and send it back through the US Postal Service!

We will send you a padded envelope and pre-paid return label designed to securely ship your devices back to us. Once you insert your device and seal the envelope, the envelope can be given to your postal carrier or dropped off at any US Post office.

We encourage you to erase your device before you send it for recycling. After you enter your device type we will give you the option of erasing it yourself or having us erase it. We provide links to the data wipe instructions for most common devices. If you are not able to erase your phone, tablet or laptop before sending it, rest assured that we will either wipe the drive, degauss or shred it once it arrives at our R2 certified facilities.

After you enter your device type we will give you the option of erasing it yourself or having us erase it. If you choose to erase it yourself, we provide links to the data wipe instructions for most common devices. If you are unable or unsure how to erase your data we will accept your device as-is. Once your device is received at our R2 certified facilities we will destroy any remaining data by wiping the drive, degaussing or shredding it.

If you can’t erase your device you can still send it to us. ReturnCenter makes sure that your data is destroyed once we receive it. Our R2 certified facilities will destroy any remaining data by wiping the drive, degaussing or shredding it.

We have partnered with leading companies that are experienced in environmentally responsible recycling. Every partner is R2 certified, which assures you that the highest data security standards are used. Your mobile phone, tablet or laptop will be recycled in accordance with the highest standards, or data-wiped and resold if value remains.

Yes! We recycle all makes and models of mobile phones, smartphones and iPhones. We also accept all models of iPads, tablets and laptops.

Yes, you can include your device’s charging cords.

Yes, you can and should leave your device’s battery installed in it. For shipping safety, please do not ship a phone containing a leaking, punctured, or otherwise damaged battery.

Most people swap them over with their mobile carrier. If not, we would suggest to cut the SIM card and recycle properly.

A pre-paid shipping label will be created and mailed to you with a padded envelope after you checkout. You should receive the label and shipping envelope within a few days.

Yes, we will send you a padded return envelope and pre-paid label.

Costs are determined by several factors including the weight of your device and the cost to properly recycle it. You will see the total cost at checkout based on your device type. We work hard to keep costs as reasonable as possible in order to keep electronics out of landfills.

The ReturnCenter device return program is a full-service electronics recycling program. First, we provide you with a padded envelope and pre-paid shipping label to return your device to our R2 certified facility. Once we receive your device we will evaluate it for possible reuse or donation. For devices that can be reused, we properly erase any remaining data and donate the residual value. For devices that have no residual value, we destroy your data and properly recycle them. You get the satisfaction of knowing your mobile phone, tablet or laptop’s residual value will be donated or that it will be properly recycled and will not end up in landfill.

Once your device is packed in the return shipping envelope and the pre-paid label applied, you can drop it off at the nearest USPS location or give to your USPS mail carrier. USPS services may vary by location.