Remember when I first introduced BuyMyTronics? BuyMyTronics pays you for your new, used, or damaged electronics when you send them in by mail. To receive some money for your “tronic,” you will need to use the provided pull-down menus to describe the condition of your item. BuyMyTronics will then generate an approximate value of your tronic, like a blue book value. Should you choose to accept their offer; BuyMyTronics will reimburse you via check or PayPal for the amount they quoted you within 24 hours of receiving your item.

The service is great and just recently, I had a chance to hear directly from Brett Mosley himself, President of BuyMyTronics.com. I fully support what Mosley has done by allowing one to essentially sell their item and get money for it. Quotes are fair, and the electronics go to a good cause. In a recent email update of his company, Mosley informed me of some exciting changes. In his efforts to grow, we will now see some changes to what they will now accept.

Last year, when I wrote about BuyMyTronics, you may remember me mentioning the company not offering much. Specifically, cell phones such as the iPhone. In a recent announcement, they now accept cell phones to their growing list of items that they purchase, broken and used, making BuyMyTronics one of the only major companies that accept broken electronics. That is great news. How many of us (like myself) have quite a few cell phones lying around because of constant upgrades? I’m sure many of you all do. Look no further than BuyMyTronics!

They are able to pay up to $225 for a broken iPhone and up to $220 for a Used Blackberry. They now purchase Cell Phones, iPods, iPhones, Smart Phones, PDAs, Game Consoles, and Zunes with more types coming soon! “So, how exactly are they making money,” do you ask? They answer is one that I absolutely love and can be summed up in one word: Green.

They are able to make money by taking the working parts of devices and use them to fix others. It is a win-win solution. E-Waste stays out of landfills and they are able to put cash in people’s pockets. And speaking of going green, Mosley informed me that they are delighted to announce that BuyMyTronics.com is now 100% wind powered which has lowered the harmful impact on the environment, which is a very smart move in my opinion.

I look forward to following the company closely for more exciting changes to come. If you would like more information about the company and have more questions, visit here and make sure to get rid of those tronics you have!

We never really think about this: Where do all our electronics go when we throw them away? This is called E-waste, and it may be a bigger problem than we think. E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their “useful life.” Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation’s waste stream. Millions of tons of disused electronic equipment containing toxic chemicals and heavy metals are being dumped every year without recycling or safe disposal. More than 80 percent of televisions, computers, mobile phones and other equipment escape proper handling in the United States, Greenpeace claims.

More than 1 billion mobile phones were sold last year alone, and even more will be sold next year if you can believe that. A mobile phone contains 500 to 1,000 components, many of them containing potentially dangerous metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, as well as hazardous chemical flame-retardants. What can be done about this?

Well, it is a pretty good idea not to throw your old cell phone in the trash when you have upgraded to a new iPhone, LG Shine, etc. Each day, various types of consumer electronics are constantly being upgraded or completely scrapped in favor of technological advancements. In the process, thousands of old VCRs, walkman cassette decks and bulky video cameras become what is known as “e-waste” or electronic waste. Try to avoid throwing it away and try making some profit off it via BuyMyTronics. We reviewed this site last year and they not only pay you for turning in your old tech product, but they dispose of it safely if the product cannot be salvaged.

The amount of e-waste is likely to increase because e-waste is growing at three times the rate of other public waste. Although e-waste accounts for only one to four percent of municipal waste, it may be responsible for as much as 70 percent of the heavy metals in landfills, including 40 percent of all lead.

It is a good idea to look at e-waste not as waste, but as resource. As time goes by, and e-waste continues to grow, we will begin to become aware of this and be more resourceful. Useful materials such as glass, copper, and aluminum, plastic and other components can often be extracted and reused. Some manufacturers have even referred to e-waste as a valuable source of materials.

With an increasing arrangement of environmentally-friendly options now available, people should consider recycling or donating their old electronic devices. With either choice, we can reduce the amount of e-waste and actually put our old items to good use.