Think about how many pieces of electronics you use every day. They make our lives much easier and sometimes even help us save energy, but they do come with an environmental cost. Not only do they consume power during their lives, but they also can contain harmful chemicals that need to be properly disposed of.

Some local recycling centers will take your used electronics and dispose of them properly for you. You can try to find a local recycler at Earth911.com. This is the best case scenario. Bring them down there and you're done, check off the next two steps and finish the guide.

Many manufacturers will accept products regardless of who made them when you buy a new product from them. Check for a recycling link on the company's web page. If you succeed in this, you're done, check off the rest of the guide.

Many manufacturers will also accept their own products once they have reached the end of their lives. Once again, look on the manufacturer's website for a recycling link. Here are links for Apple, Dell, HP, Sony, and Lenovo. Feel free to post links to more companies in the comments section of this guide.