The Top 3 Reasons to Properly Dispose of Unused Gadgets

The things we have in our homes either contribute to the flow of energy (chi) or detract from it. And just because they may be hidden away in drawers, closets, and cabinets doesn't mean their energies aren't still active in our spaces.

When we have gadgets (or clothes, books, etc.) that we don't use anymore, lying around taking up space (no matter how out of sight they may be), we are slowing the flow of energy at best or impeding it to the point of creating negative energy around us AND within us at worst.

If we have to dig through layers of old gadgets and miscellany to find what we're looking for, then the energy of that space is clogged by them. And if we have several drawers, closets and cabinets plus the attic, garage, and basement filled with stuff we're not using anymore, the energetic effect is magnified with each object and space, and not for the better. Lastly, if these things are out in the open and we have to step over or we trip over them to get from point A to point B, then our personal energy is impacted by their presence. (How often have we stubbed our toes or gotten frustrated because of this?)

One of the primary tenets of feng shui is clearing clutter to enhance the flow of chi. This applies to our homes and offices and well as to our personal and collective environments. With every piece of flotsam we keep in our spaces or add to landfills, we constrict the flow of energy in our lives, the environment, and the planet.

By donating, gifting, or selling these items to folks who can reuse them or by recycling them properly, we can create an amazing flow of positive energy in our spaces and within ourselves.

(To learn more about feng shui, read "Putting Feng Shui Into Perspective."

Well, yes, but that doesn't mean we have to keep adding to the mountains of rubbish whenever we have it.

The thing about putting electronic gadgets in landfills is that they have the potential to do much more damage to the environment and us than just being eyesores. When they break down -- not biodegrade -- toxins leech out of them and into the soil and our water supplies. While water treatment plants are supposed to get these toxins out, they don't get everything out all the time. And as for people who use well water, are they just out of luck?

The point is that there are other ways we can dispose of our gadgets and other stuff, where we do our part, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem, to help protect the environment. And in so doing, we help protect ourselves and the lives of future generations.

We bought the gadgets, used them, and don't use them anymore. The money we spent on them is gone and so is their use to us.

So how about recouping some of that hard-earned cash by selling the gadgets to companies and people that can do good with them? Here are some of the places where you can connect with them.

Gazelle accepts camcorders, cell phones, digital cameras, game consoles, GPS devices, laptops, MP3 players, portable hard drives, and satellite radios.

They have a wide range of manufacturers and models in their catalog, and the online calculator lets you know how much money you'll get for your item (based on age, workability, condition, and availability of original accessories) in a matter of seconds. Even if your item isn't listed, Gazelle will give you a personal offer.

Once you've accepted their offer, they send you a box and prepaid postage for you to ship your item. After they've received, inspected, and confirmed the value of it, they pay you via check or PayPal within five business days. For the philanthropist in you, they also give you the option of donating your money to one of 23 causes like the American Red Cross.

When selling multiple items, send them in the separate postage-paid boxes from Gazelle. And if you want to, you can include as many other electronic recyclables that you're not selling as will fit in the boxes. Products that are in working condition are cleared of personal data and resold; those that are not usable are recycled and kept out of landfills.

And if you decide you don't want to sell your item after all, Gazelle will ship it back to you and the postage is on them.

(In the interest of full disclosure, Gazelle does have a referral program, in which I participate to earn a few extra bucks. You can too, and registration is free!)

VenJuvo accepts digital camcorders, digital cameras, game systems, GPS systems, HDTVs, laptops, MP3 players, and smart phones (iPhones only).

Despite the product selection being smaller than Gazelle's, it's worth checking out VenJuvo as well because, if they do accept the same product, the amount of money each offers can vary by quite a few dollars. Like Gazelle, VenJuvo pays you by check or PayPal, but if you're willing to take your money in a Kmart gift card, they will give you an additional 10% in value.

The process to find out how much money you'll get is similar to Gazelle's, and if you accept their offer, you'll get a pre-paid shipping label to print out but no box in which to ship your item to them. Also, if you decide to not sell the item you sent and you want it back from VenJuvo, they charge you for the shipping.

As with Gazelle, VenJuvo will clear your item of personal data, reset it to factory settings, and resell it if it's in working condition. They will also accept items that you're not selling but simply recycling as long as they are in VenJuvo product categories.

MyBoneYard accepts cell and smart phones, desktop PCs (with or without monitors), flat panel LCD or plasma monitors, laptops, and tablet PCs.

Like Gazelle and VenJuvo, MyBoneYard re-markets, reuses, or otherwise recycles the products they receive and keeps them out of landfills. For the ones they purchase, MyBoneYard pays in the form of a prepaid Visa card only. If this works for you, then this site is worth checking out, not only because they accept some products that the other sites don't but, in my experience, their offer for the same item can be higher.

If you have an iPhone that you'd like to sell, then check out iPodJuice. This site, which is well known for its iPod and iPhone replacement batteries, kits and repair services, recently introduced a buyback plan for iPhones.

In terms of recycling, iPodJuice uses the iPhones you sell to them for training their repair personnel as well as for repair parts.

As long as your iPhone hasn't been wet or had any kind of water damage, iPodJuice will buy it, even if it isn't working. Obviously, the better the condition yours is in, the higher the amount they'll pay you via check, PayPal, or a credit at the iPodJuice store.

If you're not quite ready to sell your Apple or PC desktop or laptop, DVD player, GPS device, LCD monitor, MP3 player, or television, but know you will be within the next six months to two years, then check out TechForward.

For a $59 service fee, you can purchase a Guaranteed Buyback plan, lock in the trade-in value of your "good condition" item, and send it at a future date (up to two years) to receive the corresponding buyback dollar amount from TechForward in the form of a check or gift card.

What TechForward does with your item depends on its condition. If it can be reused, then they resell it. If not, they recycle it "in an environmentally-friendly way."

As with the other buyback sites, do your homework and check the math; depending on what and when you intend to sell, the $59 fee may or may not be worth it. And make sure you assess your item's condition accurately because penalties are possible at TechForward; you will receive only half or even none of the buyback amount if your item is deemed to be in "poor" or "substantially impaired" condition, respectively. They don't refund the service fee either. However, if your item is in "excellent" condition, you get a 15% bonus to your buyback amount.

According to the EPA, the highest form of recycling is reuse. And there are plenty of people looking to buy and use what you're not, whether they're gadgets, furniture, or something else. So how about letting them know what you have on one or all of the free classified ad sites below?

Craigslist is pretty much ubiquitous these days so you, like millions of other people, may already use it to sell your stuff. It's a great site in that just about everyone online knows to use it to advertise things for free, but not so great in that your ad can get lost in all the listings unless you post it often.

So here are some other free classified ad sites that you may or may not have heard of or used, which may help to increase the visibility of your ad, get your item(s) sold, make you a few bucks, enhance the chi in your space, and prevent more waste from piling up in our landfills and more toxins from leeching into our soil and water.

Backpage currently has over 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada for which you can view or post free ads. If you decide to upgrade and pay for your ad, remember to use the promotion code SAVE15 to get a 15% discount off the cost.

Similar to Craigslist, Kijiji (which means "village" in Swahili) has more than 220 U.S. cities and 1000+ worldwide for which you can view ads and post your own free ones.

LiveDeal is a local online classifieds and Yellow Pages marketplace in every city and zip code across the U.S. In addition to classified listings being free, you have the ability to bulk list your ads nationally, also for free. Certain restrictions apply so check the website for more information.

And lastly, there's Oodle, which was started by some former Excite and eBay executives. Free ads here are available in a few hundred cities in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

Yes, eBay can be a great place to sell your things, too. However, my focus with this lens is to let you know about sites whose services are free to use, and since eBay charges listing fees upfront with no guarantee of a sale for you, I opted to leave it and other sites like it off. But if you've had phenomenal success with eBay, feel free to add it to the Plexo below and vote it to the top! :-)

I recently joined Carbonrally, a web community that provides a fun, effective, and competitive way to reduce global warming. As of this writing, I've save about 1400 lbs of CO2 through reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Members receive periodic challenges describing a small action they can take to reduce CO2 in our environment. The total community impact of these actions is tracked in real-time on the Carbonrally website, and all sorts of teams are competing now to have the largest impact.

Please join me in the fun and success of Carbonrally by becoming a member, too! Our future generations will thank us!