This post is NOT an attempt to bash or knock Best Buy.  We like the company and think they’re a good retailer. However, when it comes to computer recycling, We don’t think a person or a company should use them for computer recycling. 

Here are my top five reasons to reconsider using Best Buy to recycle your computers:

They are Not a Computer Recycling Company

This one is obvious. Best Buy is a national retailer of electronics and household appliances. They began offering computer recycling services as a business strategy. They figure if they can get you to bring in an old monitor, you might buy a new one. It’s a nice service to offer.

Computer recycling services for consumers and small generators are fairly limited, and they fill an easy need. With that said, consider the fact that Best Buy won’t actually recycle your electronics. They’re going to load them into a truck and drive them back to a distribution center where they will then be driven somewhere else. It’s a lot of driving and while you think you’re doing good for the environment, all those diesel trucks driving your old monitor around are causing damage.

Best Buy Computer Recycling isn’t Consistently Offered

In March of 2020, Best Buy halted its electronics recycling program.  While you can chalk this up to the COVID-19 pandemic, it says a lot about how dedicated they are to this service. You’re also required to bring your items to their store. If your item is large, this could be difficult.  This isn’t a part of Best Buy’s main business model.

Data Security is a Big Concern

If you’re taking a TV or an old monitor to them, this isn’t as big of a deal, but if you’re taking an electronic item that holds sensitive data, such as a smartphone, computer, laptop, or tablet, you should think twice. Best Buy does NOT remove data.

Dropping off your hardware that contains sensitive data is like dropping it off at your local playground with a sign that says “Take My Info.” They offer solutions to remove the data but only for Windows computers and nothing else. Their webpage basically shows you how to do it yourself before showing up. Bottom line, this is a huge mistake and we advise people to think long and hard about doing this.

Support Small Business

While Best Buy offers this service, so do hundreds of small electronics recyclers across the country. All of them are much smaller than Best Buy. Small businesses always need more, and a great way to support them is by recycling your computers with them rather than with Best Buy. If your county or municipality offers electronics recycling services, use them. They undoubtedly use a local electronics recycling company.

Best Buy is a huge publicly traded electronics retailer. They don’t need your electronics recycling business.

They are Not a Certified Recycling Program

The electronics recycling industry has several certifications widely accepted as the standard, R2, and E-Stewards.  Most reputable companies in our industry have one of them. Securis is certified to R2 and NAID AAA. The industry also has NAID AAA certification. This certification deals mostly with data destruction. 

Best Buy carries none of these certifications. The industry has these certifications for a reason, and Best Buy has chosen not to certify to these very high standards.

As previously stated, this article is not an attempt to bash or put down Best Buy, but rather an attempt to give you reasons to think about whether it’s a good idea to use them for electronics recycling. We’ve outlined five very good reasons that using them for this service might not be the best idea. If you want to buy a massive big screen TV, we think they are a great option.