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Reboot and Reuse: Apple Offering Free Recycling of Its Gadgets

Apple Stores worldwide will accept all Apple products "for free, responsible recycling."
Image: Employees wear green shirts near Apple's familiar logo displayed with a green leaf at the Apple Store timed to coincide with Tuesday's annual celebration of Earth Day in Sydney
Employees wear green shirts near Apple's familiar logo displayed with a green leaf at the Apple Store in Sydney, timed to coincide with Tuesday's annual celebration of Earth Day.Rick Rycroft / AP

Apple's warm-and-fuzzy Earth Day announcements continue. Now, Apple Stores will recycle Apple gadgets for free — and even give some customers store credit.

Apple Stores worldwide will accept all Apple products "for free, responsible recycling." Customers who bring in gadgets that have resale value will also receive store credit in the form of a gift card.

It's part of a larger environmental push that Apple detailed in a new section of its website published on Monday, ahead of Earth Day on Tuesday.

Image: Employees wear green shirts near Apple's familiar logo displayed with a green leaf at the Apple Store timed to coincide with Tuesday's annual celebration of Earth Day in Sydney
Employees wear green shirts near Apple's familiar logo displayed with a green leaf at the Apple Store in Sydney, timed to coincide with Tuesday's annual celebration of Earth Day.Rick Rycroft / AP

The revamped environmental section of Apple's website includes information about the company's stance on climate change, the toxins found in tech products, the limit of natural resources and Apple's environmental efforts.

Apple has worked to boost those efforts in the wake of criticism over the company's effect on the environment. In 2012, Greenpeace gave Apple D and F grades on its environmental scorecard. Other critics questioned Apple's decision to change the size of its charging dock, rendering older accessories like iPod radios obsolete.

Under pressure, Apple rolled out a variety of environmentally friendly changes last year. For example, the company now powers all four of its data centers with 100 percent renewable energy. (That figure falls to 94 percent for all of Apple's facilities, including corporate campuses.)

Apple has also touted moves like the removal of certain toxins from its products. The company says it has reduced average total power consumed by Apple products by 57 percent since 2008.

Greenpeace cheered Apple's changes in its annual scorecard last month, calling the company "the most innovative and most aggressive in pursuing its commitment to be 100 percent renewably powered." Greenpeace awarded Apple almost all A grades for its 2014 scorecard.