Sears launches trade-in program for cellphones, cameras and music players

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A Sears store in Provo Town Center in Provo, Utah. Credit: Bloomberg News

Sears has teamed up with Gazelle.com, a company that specializes in eCommerce, to enable consumers to trade-in used electronics -- including cellphones, cameras, MP3 players and laptops -- for Sears gift cards. Sears joins Costco and Walmart as the third major retailer in four months to engage in an electronics trade-in deal with Gazelle in hopes of generating revenue and promoting environmentally friendly practices.

To participate in the free program, consumers can go to www.sears.gazelle.com, fill out a questionnaire, and then ship their item to Gazelle. The company will inspect the item and determine payment based upon the type of product, its age and condition. Payment will be sent within seven days of inspection. (Consumers will not receive gift cards for items that are no longer functional, but those items will be accepted for recycling.)

According to Time magazine, every day Americans throw out more than 350,000 cellphones and 130,000 computers, making electronic waste the fastest-growing part of the U.S. garbage stream.

Karen Austin, president of Home Electronics at Sears Holdings, said the trade-in program is a good option to help conserve the environment.

‘We are proud that through this partnership with Gazelle, approximately 90 percent of the home electronics items that consumers send in are expected to be reused and the remainder will be responsibly recycled,’ Austin said.

-- Melissa Rohlin