Recycle your tech gear: It's easier than you think

Downturn or no downturn, it's nice to upgrade your tech gadgets now and again, especially when they are so old that your colleagues are looking at you sideways. But once you've bought -- or been given -- that great new digital camera, or smartphone, or laptop, what do you do with the old one?

You know you shouldn't just throw it in the garbage -- the environmental hazards of simply discarding electronics have been well documented. But many of us haven't the vaguest idea how to dispose of the stuff safely.

The result? Piles of old tech gear gathering dust in basements and garages until somebody in the household just gives up and drags it all to the local dump.

Back in December 2007, Preston Gralla's "Out with the old: What to do with your unwanted tech gear" detailed various ways to sell, donate and recycle gadgets and computing equipment, including several online services. Since he wrote that piece, even more options have become available for tech owners who want to get rid of their older devices in a convenient, environmentally friendly and, if possible, financially advantageous way.

As we all know, however, the life span of a lot of Web services can be fleeting -- and a lot of new ones have appeared in the last year. So, in honor of Earth Day, here's an update on what you can do with your old computers, displays, digital cameras, mobile phones, game consoles and other tech devices.

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