Engadget
The company has an electronics refurbishment program.
E-waste describes any discarded electronics with a battery or a plug. When it ends up in landfills, e-waste does not decompose — instead, it drains materials into surrounding soil, which can contaminate local waterways and impact the environment and the health of people who live there.
The organization takes a large variety of devices and funnels them through several programs that prevent your electronics from ending up where they shouldn't.
If it plugs in, or has a battery, it is a safe bet that Goodwill will take it.
Whether it is a complete device or just parts, you can drop e-waste at Goodwill through its drop-off centers. What happens to it next depends on what kind of gadget you are donating, its working condition and your store place.
Goodwill will sell functional or valuable parts at auctions, individual places or at specialty technology stores, like The Grid, its tech-specific store based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Offerings from Goodwill's technology stores include gaming consoles, printers, and refurbished computers that Goodwill says will "deliver the same fast performance as new computers, but at more affordable prices."
Goodwill states that it uses US Department of Defense standards to destroy any data left on hard drives after donation.
Since 2004, Goodwill has partnered with Dell for Dell Reconnect, a program that either refurbishes or recycles electronic devices depending on their level of function.
The program is part of Dell Technologies' environmental commitments, including reducing 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50 percent by 2030.