Tech Crunch reported on this service in July. I wrote about this service at the beginning of August. I have since become a user and a supporter of the service. The service is Gazelle.

If you are anything like me, you have amassed quite a collection of old mobile phones, gadgets, etc. My normal process was to give them to friends and family in need of my old tech, sell them on ebay, or simply throw them away. Well, I have learned about a better way to rid myself of my old tech gadgets and mobile phones. I have been made aware of Gazelle.com.

Signing up with Gazelle is free. Once you sign up and verify your account, you can begin typing in your electronic gadgets and gizmos into Gazelle’s database. If your device is in their database, you choose the device’s condition and accessories (if any) and they will display how much each item is worth. If you accept, your next step is to choose your payment method. Gazelle offers check, Paypal, or you can choose to donate the proceeds to a charitable organization. After choosing your payment, they will send you a postage paid box to put your device in. As long as the device matches your description, your funds are on their way.

If your device has no market value, rather than throw it in a landfill, Gazelle will recycle it for you. Check out these statistics from Gazelle’s site:

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that in 2005, Americans got rid of 304 million TVs, VCRs, cell phones, computers and monitors. Two-thirds of them still worked.

The EPA estimates that during the same year, between 1.5 and 1.9 tons of discarded electronics ended up in landfills.

The Computer Takeback Campaign reports that 130 million cell phones are thrown away every year.

Gazelle is committed to joining with you to do what you can to keep our planet green and healthy. Reusing or recycling that Garmin Street Pilot that is no longer telling you to turn right or left does make a difference.

Gazelle has partnered with Recellular to ensure that nothing they take ever goes into a landfill. So the next time you think about tossing that old mobile phone or trying to sell that mp3 player on eBay, check out Gazelle. With a service like theirs, there is no excuse for old tech to end up in landfills.

Tech Crunch reported on this service at the end of July – read article here. The service seems to be gaining support. Here is a brief about them from their website.

What Is Gazelle? They provide an easy, fast, and safe way for you to sell electronics and recycle electronics. When you sell cell phones, mp3 players, laptops, or other gadgets to them, you’ll earn cash and help save the environment by keeping old, used gadgets out of landfills. You get green while being green! The bottom line is you want to sell electronics and they want to buy electronics. A perfect match!

What Happens When I Sell My Electronics? As soon as they receive your used electronics and gadgets (such as used cell phones, used laptops etc.), they inspect them to be sure their condition matches your evaluation. They’ll notify you via email once your item has been received and inspected, and again when your payment has been sent. The whole process takes about a week once they receive a box from you.

What Does Gazelle Do With My Used Electronics? Gazelle believes that electronics recycling starts with reuse. After they buy electronics and gadgets, they evaluate their condition. When they receive items that are still in working condition, they extend their lives by removing all personal data from them, and selling the electronics through a variety of retail and wholesale outlets. Items without market value are recycled responsibly.

If you use their service, please let us know your experience with it.