Buying secondhand can save shoppers $1,760 each year. One thrifter may have found the ultimate hack to maximize their return and sparked envy with their retro haul.
What's happening?
In Reddit's r/vintagemobilephones, the shopper shared several photos of their massive electronics score after they went on the hunt for unwanted phones. The price for a camera, an array of computer equipment, and some old phones, including an iPhone? Zero dollars.
"I have a local thrift store which gives me (just me) permission to take almost any electronics they have, before these electronics end up for sale," the poster shared. "I primarily came for phones at first, but after seeing the amount of good electronics that they end up throwing away, I decided to also take other things from their giant Ewaste bin."
"Holy awesome find!" one commenter exclaimed.
Another Redditor who used to do community work at a secondhand store wasn't as surprised, writing: "You would be amazed to see what comes in and what makes it to the shelves. … Good tip for anyone working at [a thrift store] or like looking around in them, check the pockets!"
Why is this important?
Based on details provided by the OP, some of the electronics at the secondhand store seemed to have been headed for an e-waste recycling center.
Recycling electronics is far better than dumping them in a landfill because it allows us to recoup billions of dollars' worth of valuable raw materials such as gold, copper, and silver as well as prevent hazardous toxins from leaching into the environment.
However, using old electronics is a more ideal solution because many recycling processes require strong chemicals. (Researchers are working on gentler alternatives.)
The electronics industry also accounts for a staggering amount of carbon pollution, which traps heat in the atmosphere and is the gas primarily responsible for Earth's overheating, even though it is less potent than methane. Manufacturing just 2.2 pounds of electronics releases around 55 pounds of carbon, according to technical resource centre Maxey Moverley.
The OP's discovery of items in the e-waste bin wasn't only an exciting reward for the phone enthusiast; it was also good for the environment, as they did their part to help reduce demand for new products and preserve resources.
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 Why would a thrift store refuse to sell a donation?
A thrift store might opt to send old electronics to a recycling center rather than putting it on the floor for several reasons.
If the employees don't have the resources to verify a device is in working order, dumping it in an e-waste recycling bin might be the easiest way to prevent unsatisfied shoppers from later returning to the store and asking for a refund.
And while retro flip phones are coming back into style and a recent CNET survey found that the vast majority of U.S. smartphone owners aren't enticed to upgrade their devices for AI features, demand for old electronics could still be limited in certain markets.
A surplus of donations could also mean the store has an overabundance of products to sell, and that could lead it to turn to e-recycling to manage inventory and clear space.
How can I responsibly recycle electronics?
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a thrift store connection like the OP's or is as inclined to fix old electronics, as the poster indicated they might do with one item.
However, you can still recoup value on old electronics thanks to store-credit programs from companies including Best Buy, Apple, Dell, and Amazon.
Trashie offers a service that makes recycling easy and profitable. Simply load up your Tech Take Back Box with up to 10 pounds of unwanted electronics, ship it to Trashie, and earn instant rewards.
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