Cash-in your gift cards » Green Gift Cards http://giftah.com/blog Gift Card Blog Fri, 13 May 2011 06:38:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Trade Your Electronics For Gift Cards http://giftah.com/blog/2009/05/trade-your-electronics-for-gift-cards/ http://giftah.com/blog/2009/05/trade-your-electronics-for-gift-cards/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 07:40:45 +0000 giftah http://giftah.com/blog/2009/05/trade-your-electronics-for-gift-cards/ There are a number of websites that allow you to swap your old electronics for a gift card. Since most old electronics end up sitting in a desk drawer somewhere or being thrown out trading electronics for gift cards is an excellent way to get some value out of your junk. You can trade in your old electronics and buy some new ones with the electronics gift cards you receive. The newer the electronics are the higher the value of the gift card will be, the value of your old electronics is also determined by the popularity of the device. The gift cards offered vary with each website, but we have listed some of the more popular sites for swapping electronics for gift cards below.

1) Next Worth: primarily deals with old iPods and iPhones but has recently branched out and begun collecting video games, consoles, cameras, laptops, Blckberry, and GPS. Next Worth offers Amazon gift cards, online or in store J&R gift cards and Target gift cards for your used electronics.

2) Gazelle: buys used cell phones, laptops, GPS devices, gaming consols, camcorders, satellite radios and video games. In return the company provides Amazon gift cards. They also recycle any electronics item even if it has no value.

3) RadioShack: accepts trade in electronics for certain mp3 players, game systems, cell phones, cameras, GPS units, car audio systems and laptops. In return for sending in your electronics you receive a Radio Shack gift card.

4) My Bone Yard: accepts mp3 players, cell phones, desktop pc’s, flat screen monitors and laptops. For exchanging your electronics you will receive a Visa gift card.
Since most used electronics end up in a landfill, these sites are great for recycling your electronics and receiving gift cards.

If you would rather get cash for your gift card there is another website that can facilitate that. You can always sell your gift card online. Just go to Giftah the online marketplace for gift cards and list your card in an auction or sell your gift card directly to Giftah. It’s a easy and fun way to convert your gift cards into cash.

]]> http://giftah.com/blog/2009/05/trade-your-electronics-for-gift-cards/feed/ 0 Environmental Impact of Gift Cards http://giftah.com/blog/2009/05/environmental-impact-of-gift-cards/ http://giftah.com/blog/2009/05/environmental-impact-of-gift-cards/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 10:01:56 +0000 giftah http://giftah.com/blog/?p=142 Not many people think about the economic impact of plastic gift cards, after all they are relatively small compared to the wrapping paper and boxes of a large present. In reality 10 billion plastic gift cards are produced every year, most of them end up hitting the land fills. Despite their small size, gift cards ecological footprint can be huge. Gift cards contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) an extremely toxic compound that is a known carcinogen. Other toxins in gift cards include chlorine residue and heavy metal pollutants. Those 10 billion gift cards produced each year contribute 75 to 100 million pounds of toxic plastic that will site in landfills leaking toxins for the duration of their long lifespan.

Thankfully recycling programs and new materials are being put in place to combat the negative environmental impact of gift cards. Earthworks, a green manufacturing company has been collecting consumer’s gift cards and credit cards to make 100% recycled. The earth works system not only reduces cards environmental impact it creates a product with real value making Earthworks a truly sustainable business.

Creating gift cards out of bioplastics may be another way to reduce or even eliminate the environmental impact of gift cards. Bioplastic gift cards are made from renewable sources such as cornstarch and vegetable oil rather than petroleum based plastics. Mirel a corn based biodegradable plastic created by Metabolix has been adopted by a few large retailers. In 2007 Target sold Mirel gift cards in 129 of its stores. Commercial retailers are rapidly adopting greener business practices as their customers demand it. Recycling, bioplastics or digital distribution all contribute to reducing the amount of harmful chemicals. Any thing that creates more sustainable business practices and a cleaner environment is a step in the right direction.

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