What the Tech: Recycling Christmas

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Online shopping broke records again this year, which means there are hundreds of millions of empty cardboard shipping boxes sitting in homes across the country.

Before you toss those boxes and anything else in the trash for pickup you can recycle the part of Christmas you no longer need.

If you got a new phone, laptop, Echo device, or something else, what do you do with the old one? You have options to recycle and maybe get credit with Amazon.

Amazon’s Second Chance program allows customers to trade in old devices. On its website, Amazon lists all the devices on your account and their trade-in value.

For example, a 4-year-old Kindle is worth $30. A second-generation Echo Dot is worth $5.

And you won’t need to pay for shipping. Just print out a shipping label and mail it in. If it’s in good, working condition, you’ll get a gift card for that amount added to your Amazon account. It’s better than donating those devices some other way because Amazon will ensure it’s no longer connected to your account.

As for those empty shipping boxes, fill them up with things you no longer want or need. Jewelry, DVDs, games, household items, or small electronics in good condition.

Go to givebackbox.com and print out a shipping label. Tape up the box and send in your donated items. Givebackbox will see that the donation goes to a local charity. Givebackbox has partnered with charities across the country and they’re especially asking for donations of Lego toys.

If you’re recycling an old smartphone -- check with your wireless carrier.

And remember it is unsafe to toss devices in the trash that includes any type of battery. Check with your local recycling program to see if and when they accept batteries.

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