Apple Recycling

Like Dell and Best Buy, Apple has a recycling program. Unlike either Dell or Best Buy, however, Apple emphasizes the international nature of its program. The parameters of the program vary, but in general, countries either have a recycling program or a trade-in program (which usually includes an option to recycle if there isn’t any trade-in value).

The list below displays all countries that currently participate in Apple’s recycling program.

Apple Recycling by Country

  • Argentina: Apple Recycling
  • Australia: Apple Trade In
  • Austria: Apple Trade In
  • Azerbaijan: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Bahrain: Apple Recycling
  • Belarus: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Belgium: Apple Trade In
  • Brazil: Apple Recycling
  • Brunei: Recycling (via Reverse Logistic)
  • Bulgaria: Apple Recycling
  • Cambodia: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Canada: Apple Trade In
  • Chile: Apple Recycling
  • China (mainland): Apple Trade In
  • Columbia: Apple Recycling
  • Costa Rica: Recycling
  • Croatia: Apple Recycling
  • Cyprus: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Czech Republic: Apple Recycling
  • Denmark: Apple Trade In
  • Dominican Republic: Recycling
  • Ecuador: Recycling
  • Egypt: Apple Recycling
  • El Salvador: Recycling
  • Estonia: Apple Recycling
  • Finland: Apple Recycling
  • France: Apple Trade In
  • French Polynesia: Recycling
  • Georgia: Recycling (via Litong)
  • Germany: Apple Trade In
  • Greece: Apple Recycling
  • Guadeloupe: Recycling
  • Guatemala: Recycling
  • Honduras: Recycling
  • Hong Kong: Apple Trade In
  • Hungary: Apple Recycling
  • India: Apple Recycling
  • Indonesia: Apple Recycling
  • Ireland: Apple Trade In
  • Israel: Apple Recycling
  • Italy: Apple Trade In
  • Japan: Apple Trade In
  • Jordan: Apple Recycling
  • Kazakhstan: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Kenya: Apple Recycling
  • Korea: Apple Trade In
  • Kuwait: Apple Recycling
  • La Reunion: Recycling
  • Latvia: Apple Recycling
  • Lebanon: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Lithuania: Apple Recycling
  • Luxembourg: Apple Trade In
  • Macau: Apple Recycling
  • Macedonia: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Malaysia: Apple Recycling
  • Malta: Apple Recycling
  • Martinique: Recycling
  • Mauritius: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Mexico: Apple Recycling
  • Montenegro: Apple Recycling
  • Morocco: Apple Recycling
  • Netherlands: Apple Trade In
  • New Caledonia: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • New Zealand: Apple Recycling
  • Nicaragua: Recycling
  • Norway: Apple Trade In
  • Oman: Apple Recycling
  • Panama: Recycling
  • Paraguay: Recycling
  • Peru: Recycling (via COIPSA)
  • Philippines: Apple Recycling
  • Poland: Apple Recycling
  • Portugal: Apple Recycling
  • Puerto Rico: Recycling
  • Qatar: Apple Recycling
  • Romania: Apple Recycling
  • Russia: Apple Recycling
  • Saudi Arabia: Apple Recycling
  • Serbia: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Singapore: Apple Trade In
  • Slovakia: Apple Recycling
  • Slovenia: Apple Recycling
  • South Africa: Apple Recycling
  • Spain: Apple Trade In
  • Sweden: Apple Trade In
  • Switzerland: Apple Trade In
  • Taiwan: Apple Trade In
  • Tanzania: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • Thailand: Apple Trade In
  • Tunisia: Apple Recycling
  • Turkey: Apple Recycling
  • Turkmenistan: Recycling (via Apple Premium Resellers)
  • Ukraine: Recycling (via Dataserv)
  • United Arab Emirates: Apple Trade In
  • United Kingdom: Apple Trade In
  • United States: Apple Trade In
  • Vietnam: Apple Recycling
  • Zambia: Recycling (via Dataserv)

What does that mean, though? Let’s look a little more closely at each type of program, whether that’s recycling via partner services, Apple Recycling, or Apple Trade In.

Recycling via Partner Services

In quite a few countries where Apple has a less prominent presence, they partner with other organizations to offer electronics recycling. In a few places (like Turkmenistan) that involves Apple Premium Resellers, but in many, the recycling organization is a genuine third-party service, such as Dataserv (13 different countries), Reverse Logistic (Brunei), Litong (Georgia), and COIPSA (Peru).

Apple Recycling

Apple offers a recycling program that makes it quite easy to get rid of your device in an environmentally-friendly way. Even better, the program is free. Products can be recycled in an Apple store or online at apple.com through the trade in program.


In general, it’s a simple three-step process:

  1. Back up your device. That way you still have all of your content and data, even after you hand off your phone or another device.
  2. Erase the data from your device. Getting rid of the personal information on your phone or other device ensures that no one else has access to your data.
  3. Use the provided shipping label and ship the device off to the provided recycling partner.

Note: If the device you are shipping contains a battery, Apple advises not to ship a battery with more than 30% charge.

Apple Trade In Program

The crown jewel of Apple’s recycling programs, however, is the Apple Trade In Program. With the trade-in option, you can take any of your Apple devices to an Apple store—whether you are looking to an upgrade to a new device or simply done with the device you have—and potentially get trade-in value for your device.

Even if your device does not any longer have trade-in value (such as might be the case with an early generation iPhone, iPod, or iPad, for instance), you can still recycle it at the Apple store.

If you go in person to an Apple Store you will be given credit toward a new purchase. If you are not ready to make a new purchase, but have a device to trade in, you can use the online program and you will receive an Apple Store gift card. The online process take about 2-3 for your gift card to be issued.

And if your device does still have trade-in value, that can mean a fantastic price on your next device. If you’re upgrading from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone XR, for instance, you can with trade-in value get the iPhone XR for only $20/month. Similarly, consider the following guidelines:

  • iPhone trade-ins are eligible for up to $400 in trade-in value.
  • iPad trade-ins are eligible for up to $335 in trade-in value.
  • iMac (and other laptops and MacBooks) are eligible for up to $1400 in trade-in value. Computer trade-in is only available via Apple’s online Trade In program.
  • Apple watches are eligible for up to $120 in trade-in value.

Trade-in values will also depend on the condition of your Apple device. A newer model iPhone that has physical damage will obviously not get full trade-in value.

And if your device doesn’t have trade-in value, you can still take it into an Apple Store for recycling. And you don’t have to go into an Apple Store, either! Simply let Apple know that you’re interested in the Trade In Program and they’ll provide a prepaid trade-in kit and shipping label; all you’ll need to do is the three steps mentioned above.

It’s as easy as that to both get value from your old Apple devices and make a difference for the environment!