Rethink Week 2005 and Tips on unloading used electronics

[mandy]

eBay announcement:

***Rethink Week 2005 from October 24-31*** 

October 21, 2005 | 10:47AM PST/PT

Hi, I’m Greg Fant, Vice President of eBay’s Technology categories. At the beginning of the year we introduced the Rethink Initiative, a coalition of industry, governmental, environmental and non-profit organizations to help our Community address the growing problem of electronic waste (known as e-waste). E-waste is one of the most significant problems facing our environment today. We want to make it easy for you to sell, donate or recycle unwanted electronics, so that more of us are disposing of these items responsibly.

I’m excited to let you know that we’re now holding Rethink Week 2005 to help increase awareness about this environmental problem and what you can do to be part of the solution. During the week of October 24th, we’re asking for your help to get the word out about Rethink and how people can avoid simply throwing away used electronics. If you’re a buyer, please take a few moments to learn about the Rethink initiative and our related programs. For example, find out how you can trade in old electronics for cash when you replace them, rather than just tossing them out.

If you’re a seller, take advantage of several tools we’ve created that are now available at our Rethink site, including:

    * Downloadable Rethink flyers you can include in your packages.
    * Rethink logos and information you can add to your listings or to your About Me page.
    * Easy ways to offer customers trade-ins on their electronics with no hassle or cost to you.
    * A Rethink discussion board where you can share stories and ideas with other members.

Thanks for doing your part to help tackle the problem of e-waste!

newspaper article:

Connected: Tips on unloading used electronics

In a world in which business motives often compete with social motives, it's good to see that there are still some places where the two can thrive together. This week, eBay is relaunching its Rethink Initiative, a program that helps dispose of used electronics in a way that will do some good.

Up to 40 percent of landfill is thought to be electronics that have outlived their perceived usefulness, according to Stephanie Regalia, eBay's senior category manager for computers...

full article: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05295/593018.stm

[bargainbloodhound]

Up to 40 percent of landfill is thought to be electronics that have outlived their perceived usefulness, according to Stephanie Regalia, eBay's senior category manager for computers. That represents an opportunity for eBay,

During a strategy meeting, her team identified the need to get more computers and other electronics onto the pages of eBay for sale. They were looking to satisfy a growing demand for computers that could be "new or up to 3 years and older."

uhh, yeah, the real reason for Rethink Week  isn't because eBay actually cares about "e-waste", its because eBay wants to get more product listed on the site.

Skip eBay if you're selling "e-waste" and avoid eBay Giving Works/Mission Fish if you're donating "e-waste".  :twistedevil:

Instead sell or give the item away on Craigslist or freecycle.org, or give directly to a charity in your area.(thereby cutting out the middlemen (like Mission Fish) with their hand in the donation bucket 

[bargainbloodhound]

Just to add to that last post:  :twistedevil: :twistedevil:

One other reason why you should consider selling/donating locally rather than listing your e-waste item on eBay is that by selling locally you also help the environment by cutting down on eco-unfriendly p-waste,  b-waste, and t-waste (packing peanut waste, box waste, and tape waste for those of you who are not up on your politically correct environmental terms).  8)