What should you do with an old Apple Watch you have no use for anymore – be it broken or not? Is it possible to recycle an Apple Watch or does it just get thrown into a landfill?
To recycle an Apple Watch, you can put it back to use by reselling it or taking it to the Apple Store. If in good condition, you can trade it in as credit towards a new one. If the watch is in poor enough condition, then Apple will take it and recycle it for free as stated in their recycling policy.
If you need to know what to do for your Apple Watch, read below for recycling, donating, and fixing options. There are many ways to take care or get rid of a broken Apple product, but what is the best option for you?
Apple Recycling
Apple has a recycling program that allows you to return broken or damaged items to be recycled for free. Apple has a use for the parts because they can repurpose them and use them for new products without needing to get more materials. Thus, it is better for the environment, and it gets the broken item out of your home so that it doesn’t take up any more space. (Source)
To use this service you will go to an Apple Store and bring the watch. If you do not have an Apple store nearby, then you can call their customer support number, and they will help you mail the item in and answer any questions you have.
When you get into the store, walk up to a free associate or wait your turn to see one. When they are available, they will be able to look at your Apple Watch and determine if there is something they can do to save and fix it or if the best option is to recycle it.
They will help you save things on the device to the iCloud so that you can retrieve the information you need. The associate will inform you that once they get to work on the item after it has been shipped out, the product will be wiped so anything saved on it will be lost unless you save it beforehand. There isn’t much vital information saved on an Apple Watch that is not on your phone already, but in general, most products will want to be backed up before going to the recycling company.
If you need to replace your Apple Watch, then it is a good thing you are already in the store! After working with the associate on your old watch, ask them if they can show you the other watch products in the store. You can upgrade from the watch version you had, or get the same one you had before. You can also visit various resell sites online and buy a used Apple Watch for a lower price than the new products in the store.
If you are thinking of throwing away your broken Apple Watch, why not just give it to Apple to properly recycle? Many items take over 100 years to decompose, so think about how long it will take your Apple Watch. Metal does not biodegrade, it will simply corrode and become unsafe over time, so giving it to Apple so that they can reuse the metal and other parts in it is a much better option. It gets the watch off your hands and puts it in a facility better for the environment than a landfill.
You can call around local electronic shops and see if they can recycle your Apple Watch for you, but Apple already has an easy system that makes going to them to recycle Apple products the best option. Plus, if you live far from the Apple Store, you can mail your product for free. Contact Apple Support and they will email you a return label so that you can mail the Apple Watch back without having to pay for the shipping. They have some dos and don’ts when taking this option that you should be aware of.
If you are sending in multiple Apple products to be recycled, then you need to get a separate box for each one when you send it in. They also will not take products that have been disassembled. So, if you or someone else took apart the Apple Watch for parts and then put all the other parts in the box, Apple won’t take it. Apple follows the recycling laws and includes a symbol on its packaging that lets you know the products should not be disposed of in your household.
They present recycling with them as easy as three steps. You will back up your device, erase the data from the device, then ship it off to the desired location Apple will give to you. You won’t have to worry about memorizing addresses because they will email you the address on the return label, which makes recycling your Apple products easy!
Fixing Your Apple Watch
When you are at the Apple store, you can see what the price will be to fix it. Maybe the only thing broken on your watch is the screen, and they can fox that for you. They will tell you the cost of the repairs and give you a timeline for how long it should take. What Apple will do is mail your product to another location that repairs Apple products, and they will be able to fix the problems on it.
If your watch is mailed back to you and it doesn’t work, then contact Apple Support so that they can offer you some solutions. They can send it in for repairs again, or they can give you a credit for the amount your watch costs for you to get another watch. If they tried to fix it and it doesn’t work, then that is on them, and they will make sure you have the best outcome of the situation.
You can also go to an electronic’s repair shop (a 3rd party shop not associated with Apple but can help fix your Apple products) and have them figure out what is wrong with your product. They will tell you how long fixing it will cost, and tell you the estimated timeline for it. If a repair shop is associated with Apple, they will be able to see if there is a warranty on the product still, and they can work to fix your watch as the warranty outlines. But, anything not covered by the product’s warranty will come out of your pocket. They will have access to your Apple history which includes the products you bought, the warranty’s on those products, and any other information pertaining to the product like repairs and more.
Depending on the issue, you can go online to YouTube and search for tutorials on how to fix the problem you are experiencing with your Apple Watch. If you have the right tools and are pretty handy, then you might be able to fix the problem yourself. But, there is a chance you can make the problem worse, so try to get Appl’s professionals to fix it for you. That way, the outcome will be blamed on them after the fact, and they can compensate you for the product or offer you a credit to use towards any Apple product.
Also, fixing your Apple Watch should be cheaper than buying a new or used one, so if you can fix then that saves you money. Plus, it means the item you saved up for and bought with your hard-earned money is not a lost cause, so that’s good news! Save your product and get it fixed so that you can avoid getting rid of it and having to find a replacement.
Apple Trade-In
Another option you may have presented to you in the Apple Store is having your watch traded in for credit or for a new product. Likely, the associate will take your product to the back and run a diagnostic on it to determine the problem. Then, they can see if there is value left in the product or not. If there is value in it, then they can inform you about trading in your product. If you choose, you can accept the credit they offer for it and put it towards a new Apple Watch. (Source)
You can also see if your Apple Watch qualifies for a full trade-in. If the product is broken it might not qualify, but if the product broke within the time of the warranty then it could qualify. If it works out, you can trade in the product for a new one and go home with a new Apple Watch.
Work with the associate and ask about what is broken in it, can it be fixed, can you trade it in, can you get credit for it, should it be recycled, and more. See what the issue is and see what can be done about it. Apple will do everything they can to help you get the best outcome of the situation, but if there is not anything they can do other than recycle the watch then accept that and see what your options are after recycling it.
Having a broken Apple product is not fun. You work hard, save up, do your research on the product, finally buy it, and when it breaks because you fell or dropped it then you feel awful. All of the hard work and you can’t live out the product to its full life. It is unfair that you tripped or that you accidentally dropped the product, but at the end of the day, you can’t change that so try to find the silver lining in the situation. There are options like trading in and getting credit back that will make the situation better.
Donating and Selling
If your product can be fixed but you want to get rid of it, you can donate it or sell it. You can drop off the Apple Watch at any Salvation Army or Deseret Industries if it works and you can provide it for someone in need. You can also sell it online for a small profit that can go towards a new Apple Watch.
You can post about the watch on different second-hand selling sites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Then, you can get some fun spending money for it and use that for whatever you please. You can take your significant other on a nice date, you can take your kids out for ice cream, you can put the money towards bills, and you can use the money for a new Apple product.
These options are great because they can make you some money, and they are also better for the environment. By reusing used products and not buying all goods new you can help the environment be free from one less item being tossed. Throwing away electronics is not recommended, instead, take advantage of the options available to you. Use Apple’s recycling option, trade it in, donate it for others to benefit from, and sell it if you can. I mean, if you can sell a product for money then why not? Everyone wants a little extra cash for their various expenses whether those be for needs or wants. So, figure out what option is best for you and go with that and try to avoid trashing electronics.
There are also sites where you can post an item you have and trade it with someone who wants what you have. For instance, if you have a used Apple Watch and someone has a nice item about the same worth as the item you have, then you two can trade and you can go home with a nice item. Maybe you got a game or some nice headphones, water it is, it is a great way to use what you have and avoid spending money that is in your pocket.
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