Electronics Recycling Can Really Pay Off. Here's My First Experience Using Apple Trade In

When you decide you're finished with an electronic device, like a cellphone, laptop, or tablet, what do you do with it? Unless the item is well and truly broken (or horrifically outdated), trying to find a new home for it is your best move. Just tossing it in the trash is a bad idea, because you could potentially be throwing money away -- not to mention harming the environment.

Mindful of this fact, I've always taken great pains to rehome my old electronics. To date, I've given away three iPads and two Kindle e-readers -- all were outdated, but still perfectly functional, as I take stellar care of my belongings (especially when they are expensive pieces of technology).

But when I recently decided to replace my 2020 model Apple Watch, I was facing a quandary. I didn't know anyone who was looking for one, and the battery life was really starting to suffer, so I definitely didn't want to pass that annoyance on to someone I care about. So instead, I checked Apple's website to see my options.

How does Apple Trade In work?

Apple Trade In involves a very easy process for you, the shopper. You can do it online via Apple's website or in person at an Apple Store. I chose the online route when I ordered my new watch. I was required to provide a serial number for the device, and answer a few questions about its condition and functionality. (Return any kind of Apple device and you'll have to do the same.) Then I was quoted a dollar figure for its worth, which would be confirmed once the old watch was received and evaluated by the trade-in partner.

The amount I was quoted sounded quite fair to me, so I elected to go forward with the trade in. I ordered my new watch and confirmed that a prepaid and pre-addressed return shipment container would be sent to me (it arrived a few days after the new watch). I had 14 days to return the old watch for final valuation, and once I sent it in, I was able to track its progress and confirm that I would in fact be receiving the full amount quoted to me initially.

Since I was making a purchase, I had to pay the entire cost of the new watch upfront, and wait to have my credit card credited for the trade-in value. But you can also use Apple Trade In if you're not interested in buying a new device at this time -- the value of your old tech can be put on a gift card for future use. All in all, it was a straightforward process.

My trade-in value was 36% of the cost of the new watch

I won't leave you in suspense any longer. I received $90 back for my old Apple Watch, which was a pleasant surprise and also 36% of the cost of the new one that replaced it. I wondered if once the device was received, I'd get an email saying its value came in lower than I was originally quoted. (I had visions of being lowballed on a trade-in value, like you might encounter at a sleazy car dealership.) After all, the watch functioned perfectly well (despite the worsening battery life), but it did have a few tiny scratches on the face -- plus I had just spent a weeklong vacation swimming in the Pacific while wearing it.

The one inconvenience for this experience was having to take the old watch to a UPS partner so it could be sent back -- this still wasn't a big deal, though. (Leaving the house is good for me, and I should perhaps do it more often.)

Should you use Apple Trade In?

I'd use Apple Trade In again, and I recommend that anyone looking to get rid of an Apple device also at least consider using the service. If your device is so old that it isn't worth any money, you at least get the satisfaction of knowing that it won't be leaching hazardous heavy metals into the ground in a landfill. And if it is worth something, you can translate that money into a new device or a gift card you can use later.

Electronics recycling is definitely a personal finance "do," and it feels good knowing that even if no one ever wears my old watch again, perhaps some of the components can be reused.