Los Angeles TV station host Rich DeMuro recently visited Gizmogo's facilities and even tried out the recycling services Gizmogo offers on his son's broken tablet! Before coming in for a visit, Rich used the site's online portal to recycle an old iPad mini. About the iPad, he said, “It has a cracked screen and has been sitting unused in my garage for several months.” He entered in details about the device on Gizmogo.com for a short online evaluation and received a quote for $80.55. He then received a box in the mail in order to send the tablet to us. He says, “About a week later, the cash was in my PayPal account.”
Gizmogo aims to give every user a similar experience by allowing clients to trade old devices in for cash while protecting the environment in the process! As part of a larger electronics recycling company, Gizmogo is on a mission to keep old electronics out of landfills. This goal motivates Gizmogo to take even completely broken devices off your hands, which is unique among its competitors. “Our differentiation is that we are also very aware of the environmental impact… so trying to remove these electronics from our landfills is our main objective,” said Roxanna Faithful, Gizmogo's Director of Marketing, during the interview with KTLA.
Keeping electronic devices out of landfills is important for a number of reasons.
Keeping electronic devices out of landfills is important for a number of reasons. A staggering estimate of 50 million tons of e-waste is produced every year. The United Nations estimates that the number will only continue to increase. In fact, by 2030, we might reach up to 74.7 million tons per year. This e-waste goes straight to landfills, with only a small percentage getting recycled. When old laptops, cell phones, tablets, and other used gadgets are in landfills, they can leach harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and more into the soil and water. Qualified recycling facilities such as Gizmogo prevent this by properly handling the materials in old electronics. “We [have a] zero landfill policy,” says Gizmogo CEO James Wang.
Another great thing about selling your device to a qualified recycling facility is that they may be able to refurbish the device as well. This can be done by fixing up the old device so it's in good working order again. As Rich learned during his visit, that's an important part of Gizmogo's working operations. This benefits the environment by conserving the energy that would be used to create a new device. Roughly 1 gigajoule of energy is needed to create a modern smartphone — that's a lot of energy! Refurbishing and reusing 100 million phones saves enough energy to power more than 370,000 homes.
Additionally, refurbished devices can go on to support lower-income communities.
Additionally, refurbished devices can go on to support lower-income communities. The brand-new iPad is expensive, but a refurbished device is offered at a much lower price and functions in the exact same way! This allows everyone a chance to have access to technology and helps communities stay connected, access knowledge and learning opportunities, apply to jobs, and so much more. This can benefit local communities, as well as other countries across the globe. A study by MERA showed that of the new smartphones purchased in 2016 and priced $500 or higher, 10 percent or more will end up having three owners or more before being retired. They will also likely still be used actively now in 2021 and on. So once you're ready to upgrade to a newer device, that doesn't mean your old phone is useless! It could go on to serve many more people.
Recycling through a credible source is also a good idea to protect your personal information.
Recycling through a credible source is also a good idea in order to protect your personal information. While it's a good idea to reset your device before selling or recycling it, sometimes that isn't an option! Even if your phone won't turn on, personal data still exists on it. This might include your credit card information, your phone number, and even your social security number, depending on what you've used your device for. You wouldn't want that to fall into the wrong hands. By recycling with Gizmogo, you're provided a guarantee that they will always “wipe it clean or we will destroy the memory,” according to Faithful. This means that no matter what's on your phone, by the time it's refurbished or recycled, none of your data will remain.
As Rich learned, you can also make some serious cash by selling your device to Gizmogo! Depending on the device's condition, you'll receive a quote that reflects its worth. It's possible that your final payout will be a bit more or less once it's evaluated in person. Even if your device is significantly damaged or won't power on, Gizmogo will still accept it. If you have old devices sitting around collecting dust, visit Gizmogo.com and get a quote today! In Rich's words, “Proper disposal can make a difference in your wallet and the world.”