Gazelle is a new option for getting rid of your old gadgets without filling up landfills. The company buys used gadgets and either resells them or recycles them, depending on the state of the item in question. All you have to do is go to the Gazelle website, answer a few questions about your gadget and mail it off. Gazelle even sends a prepaid mailing envelope so there's no need to worry about postage.

Of course, if there's no resale value for your gadget, you only get the prepaid envelope — no payoff. But Gazelle does provide an easy way to recycle your electronic leftovers. You don't need to hunt around for a local recycling program, which may or may not be available in your area. Those gadgets that are usable are sold on eBay, although sellers don't need to wait for the sale to finalize to get their money. Gazelle pays for gadgets when they receive and inspect them.

You may remember Second Rotation, a startup with pretty much the same business model. Gazelle and Second Rotation are actually the same company. Second Rotation rebranded and relaunched as Gazelle, and added in a few new features. Gazelle actually buys back a wider variety of gadgets than Second Rotation. While Second Rotation bought cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, GPS devices, camcorders and gaming consoles, Gazelle has added laptops, satellite radios and portable hard drives to their list. 

One of the key programs that Gazelle has put in place is a bulk recycling process. For businesses, schools and other organizations with larger amounts of electronic waste, Gazelle offers an estimate process to handle bulk sales. Considering the number of organizations that update their hardware before their current gadgets become obsolete, it looks like Gazelle could make a big profit on bulk recycling — definitely more than reselling iPhones and digital cameras piecemeal. 

What is truly interesting about Gazelle's business model, though, is that they bill themselves primarily as a recycling operation. But they absolutely have to focus on their resale operation — it's how Gazelle makes money. The website says, "Gazelle believes that electronics recycling starts with reuse." Reuse may be a more sustainable business model, though.

Gazelle has plenty of competitors, like FlipSwap and TechForward. But these companies are in a big market: the EPA says that in 2005, the U.S. generated 2.63 million tons of electronic waste. Only 12.5 percent of that was recycled. I'm sure that the various companies focusing on buying back electronic gadgets can think of a fair way to divide the 2.3 million tons left over.

Related articles:

Best Buy Will Recycle Your Electronic Waste
The Tricky Transition from Recycling to E-Cycling
The Dangers of Recycling E-Waste
Green Gadgeteers of the Maker Movement
Constant Computer Turnover Equals Electronic Waste

 

Image — Gazelle