Apple Store iPod Recycling Program

[MacRumors]

Apple has announced an iPod recycling program at U.S. Apple retail stores, with a same-day discount if you purchase a new iPod at the same time.

From the description on the Apple Retail Page:

Bring any used iPod, iPod mini or iPod photo to any of the more than 100 Apple Stores in the US for free environmentally friendly recycling and get a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod that same-day. See your store for details.

The program may help to blunt some complaints from environmentalists that discarded iPods were ending up in landfills where they might leak toxins.

 

[Apple!Freak]

I somehow saw this coming... Nevertheless, this sounds great! It gives customers a motavtion to now recycle instead of disposing of their nuclear units.

 

[eva01]

hmm wonder if you can combine that with education price.

 

[swingerofbirch]

Sounds like a good move. This and the lawsuit settlement give more credence to the perception that iPods have a rather short shelf life though. Two years and iPods seem to be not worth fixing. I suppose that's how cell phones can be. But, why do you some cheap things hold up...like cordless phones? I have a cheap cordless phone from Walmart, sixteen bucks, and not a scratch on it!

 

[mikeylebeau]

hmm wonder if you can combine that with education price.

I was wondering the same thing.

-mike

 

[MontyZ]

What do they do with all those recycled iPods I wonder? Turn them into Mac Minis??

 

[real_murray]

Can I buy?

So, Can I buy any of these used iPods at a discounted price? No referb needed. I'll take them as-is

 

[buryyourbrideau]

whenever sweet next gen 'pod comes out

time to recycle that photo

 

[abrooks]

Hell I'll recycle your iPod for free

 

[m-dogg]

good for apple. any recycling programs are nice, to throw a 10% discount on top of it is a great perk...

 

[panphage]

Allow me to quote myself:

Wow. 10%. Hold me back. This is a deal for suckers. Why not go to http://www.smalldog.com/wag13041/ and actually get some real dough for your old ipod? Even a broken ipod will get you $25, which is very close to the *most* apple will give you.

$44.90 is better than nothing, but smalldog would give you $60 for a 5GB model AND you don't pay tax. Actually I suspect those 5GB firewire models will be collectable in five years if not now...

 

[buryyourbrideau]

*Current Trade-in Prices (effective Feb 22):
5gb (firewire): $60
10gb (firewire) $75
10gb (dock version) $90
15gb (firewire) $95
20gb (firewire) $130
15gb (dock) $120
20gb (dock) $140
30gb (dock) $170
40gb (dock) $185
20gb (click wheel) - $165
40gb (click wheel) - $205
iPod photo 40GB - $235
iPod photo 60GB - $285
iPod mini 4GB - $100

holy $hiz 235 for my photo! hell i might do it now

 

[MontyZ]

Allow me to quote myself:

That's very interesting. I just might do that.

 

[d.perel]

*Current Trade-in Prices (effective Feb 22):
5gb (firewire): $60
10gb (firewire) $75
10gb (dock version) $90
15gb (firewire) $95
20gb (firewire) $130
15gb (dock) $120
20gb (dock) $140
30gb (dock) $170
40gb (dock) $185
20gb (click wheel) - $165
40gb (click wheel) - $205
iPod photo 40GB - $235
iPod photo 60GB - $285
iPod mini 4GB - $100

holy $hiz 235 for my photo! hell i might do it now

Where can you get this kind of money for a broken iPod? (other than eBay)

 

[Gasu E.]

It Depends

Sounds like a good move. This and the lawsuit settlement give more credence to the perception that iPods have a rather short shelf life though. Two years and iPods seem to be not worth fixing. I suppose that's how cell phones can be. But, why do you some cheap things hold up...like cordless phones? I have a cheap cordless phone from Walmart, sixteen bucks, and not a scratch on it!

It really depends on what your usage pattern is. For example, I have two socially engaged teens in my house; and even though each has his/her own cell phone, the cordless phones typically either have a key or contact wear out after about three years on average. On the other hand, if one, for example, had no friends, and the only calls made were once per day for pizza delivery, such phones would last for a very long time. Not that I'm implying anything.

 

[buryyourbrideau]

Where can you get this kind of money for a broken iPod? (other than eBay)

those are not prices for a broken pod, must function in ALL ways to get those kind of prices

 

[m-dogg]

Allow me to quote myself:

$44.90 is better than nothing, but smalldog would give you $60 for a 5GB model AND you don't pay tax. Actually I suspect those 5GB firewire models will be collectable in five years if not now...

yeah, I'm sure they will be. I already get comments on my 3rd gen (with the 4 buttons above the wheel) because the ipods popularity ballooned so much after the 4th gen came out, lots of average people that have ipods now weren't even familiar with what they looked like until they bought one...

Unless mine breaks, I don't plan on getting rid of it when I eventally buy a bigger one...

 

[wdlove]

I think that it is a good idea for Apple to offer a recycling program for the iPod. Just wish that they had a similar program for older Mac's. Our local University offered a trade-in program prior to September 2000.

 

[Tuttle]

Probably more to do with Wallstreet than the environment. I think one of the reasons why Apple's stock has seen such sudden swings in price is no one really knows how long Apple can keep their current insane pace of iPod sales.

Just announcing a program like this gets the mindset out into the iPod community of upgrading - even if your current iPod is working fine.

 

[Trekkie]

I've got a 2G 20GB with a faded screen, wonder if it has to work? that'd be a bonus if it didn't have to work (it works, you just can't navigate your tunes)

 

[sw1tcher]

*Current Trade-in Prices (effective Feb 22):
5gb (firewire): $60
10gb (firewire) $75
10gb (dock version) $90
15gb (firewire) $95
20gb (firewire) $130
15gb (dock) $120
20gb (dock) $140
30gb (dock) $170
40gb (dock) $185
20gb (click wheel) - $165
40gb (click wheel) - $205
iPod photo 40GB - $235
iPod photo 60GB - $285
iPod mini 4GB - $100

holy $hiz 235 for my photo! hell i might do it now

You can probably get more on eBay...

 

[rockthecasbah]

my question to pose is will that 10% discount work in addition to a student discount?

 

[sw1tcher]

yeah, I'm sure they will be. I already get comments on my 3rd gen (with the 4 buttons above the wheel) because the ipods popularity ballooned so much after the 4th gen came out, lots of average people that have ipods now weren't even familiar with what they looked like until they bought one...

Unless mine breaks, I don't plan on getting rid of it when I eventally buy a bigger one...

Hell, even if it did break I'd keep it. But then again, that's just me. I just love the way the old original iPods look.

 

[sw1tcher]

my question to pose is will that 10% discount work in addition to a student discount?

Knowing Apple, probably not.

 

[sw1tcher]

What do they do with all those recycled iPods I wonder? Turn them into Mac Minis??

Polish them up, put in a new (better?) battery and sell them as Apple Certified "Collectible" iPods. You know there would be buyers for them.