Electronic waste is the fastest growing category of solid waste in the United States, estimated at 15% and growing. A survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found 96% of respondents felt a moral obligation to take care of the environment. The catch? Consumers will not go out of their way or come out of pocket to do it. The solution? Consumers lay the responsibility directly on the shoulders manufacturers, and some are carrying the load with broad programs to make recycling attractive.

Apple leads the way with take-back programs for cell phones, iPods, computers, monitors and batteries. It’s convenient and in some cases, it pays off. For example, take your iPod to an Apple retail store for environmentally friendly disposal and get a 10 percent discount on a new iPod. Apple will also take any cell phone for free, safe recycling, and offers free recycling for your old computer and monitor from any manufacturer when you purchase a new Apple computer—certain justification for buying a new MacBook Air, the computer we’re all drooling over.


Joining Apple in the fight against e-waste include Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM, Nokia, Motorola, and Toshiba. Verizon takes their cell phone recycling program one step farther, donating the proceeds from refurbished phones (any manufacturer) to domestic violence shelters across the country.

This week we introduce a new icon to indicate posts with a green slant. Look for the green leaf for tips on recycling, saving energy and buying more environmentally friendly electronics from the outset. At TopTenReviews, we make it easy to do the right thing.