There’s old tech gear under beds and in boxes all over my house. I know better than to throw all that e-waste in the trash, where it would eventually pollute the planet. And I also know that when it comes to tech disposal, time is of the essence. My cast-off cell phone or laptop could help someone less fortunate and even net a little cash too−but only if I act reasonably quickly. Any yet despite all this knowledge, my digital detritus piles up.

This year, though, my daughter’s fifth grade class wants to raise money to make their soon-to-be built school building “green.” Finally, the push I needed− clearing out my tech clutter could help me support Ava’s well-intentioned fundraising.

First stop: Gazelle. Since 2008, this socially conscious company has been helping people collect money for unwanted tech gear, guaranteeing to sell it for reuse or recycle it responsibility. Enter the particulars about your ex-gear and a cash bid pops up on-screen. If you like the figure, download a free shipping label, drop the item in the mail and wait for your check. Simple! Recently, Gazelle launched a service called Gazelle for Good that allows individuals or organizations to fundraise online with what they call a Gadget Drive.

So I went to gazelleforgood.com. It took maybe 10 minutes to create a customized donation page for my daughter’s school. The site works just like Gazelle except it also announces our cash goal and displays a thermometer that shows our progress. We can promote our cause with just a few keystrokes by e-mailing links to our homepage and printing flyers to post on bulletin boards.

That ancient desktop my son, Cole (now 13), used in first grade will net only about $6, but Gazelle will pay for the shopping and keep the parts out of the landfill. The digital camera I haven’t touched since I upgraded will snag $43, Cole’s old cell phone $24 and my old Palm PDA $83. While I’m shipping all this off, I’ll throw some old orphaned cables and broken keyboards. As long as I’m selling some of value, Gazelle will recycle everything.

It might be hard to write a check in this economy, but it sure is easy (not to mention satisfying!) to ship all this stuff that was just taking up space.

By Christina Tynan - Wood of Family Circle Magazine, March 2010 Edition