E-Waste Campaign: Empowering Teens for Change

Teens Team Up to Tackle E-Waste, Collect 60,000 Devices

DoSomething.org, Best Buy and EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program Helped Teens Collect 60,000 Pieces of E-Waste

In an impressive show of environmental leadership, DoSomething.org, Best Buy, and the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program teamed up in 2011 to help teens take action on e-waste. Their campaign inspired thousands of students across the U.S. to collect and responsibly recycle more than 60,000 pieces of electronic waste.

From cell phones to DVD players, students turned old tech into real environmental impact.

The Campaign: E-Waste Isn’t Garbage

The campaign launched with a clear mission: show young people that electronics don’t belong in the trash. E-waste contains toxic materials like lead and mercury, which can harm both the environment and public health when dumped in landfills.

Instead of letting devices pile up or go to waste, teens were encouraged to gather them from home, school, and neighbors. Drop-off events, collection drives, and even locker clean-outs helped the effort grow fast.

DoSomething.org made it fun. They provided digital toolkits, social media support, and even prizes to keep the momentum going.

ENERGY STAR® and Best Buy Power the Push

The EPA’s ENERGY STAR program helped educate students about energy efficiency, explaining why old electronics not only create waste but also use far more power than today’s ENERGY STAR-certified products.

Best Buy played a key role by accepting all collected electronics through its in-store recycling program—one of the largest and most accessible in the country at the time. With collection points in stores nationwide, Best Buy ensured every recycled item went to certified, responsible recyclers.

Together, the partnership helped connect learning, action, and real-world environmental outcomes.

A New Generation of E-Leaders

What made this campaign stand out was its audience. Rather than targeting adults, it empowered teens to lead. Students didn’t just learn about the problem—they became part of the solution.

The results were undeniable. In just a few weeks, youth from more than 1,200 schools and community groups contributed to the effort. Many continued local e-waste drives even after the campaign officially ended.

Conclusion

In 2011, teens proved they had the power to protect the planet—one old gadget at a time. With support from DoSomething.org, Best Buy, and ENERGY STAR, they collected 60,000 pieces of e-waste and showed that small devices can lead to big change. This campaign wasn’t just about recycling. It was about raising a generation that knows how to act, lead, and green the future.

Sources:

1. ENERGY STAR – https://www.energystar.gov
2. DoSomething.org – https://www.dosomething.org