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Nintendo Product Recycling

Video game products have significant nostalgic value and are still fun to play and own even decades after they are first purchased. Unlike other electronics, such as cell phones, computers and televisions, video game systems usually are kept, resold, or handed down to family and friends. As such, we see very limited demand to dispose of video game products.

Because video game systems retain significant value, Nintendo of America offers a number of options to maximize their continued use, while also offering recycling options to consumers and businesses to help minimize the waste disposal of video game products.

How Nintendo of America helps minimize the waste disposal of video game products:

  • We offer a free and convenient Take Back Program for consumers and businesses that would like Nintendo to recycle their products for them. The Take Back Program uses a network of thousands of UPS locations across the country to ship the products at no cost to consumers. We even will recycle a competitor's home console for consumers who have purchased a Nintendo system.
  • We offer reasonably-priced and convenient repair options to maximize continued use of current Nintendo systems.
  • We continue to offer repair support for Nintendo systems for years after retail sales have ended.
  • We remanufacture or refurbish retailer and consumer returns and utilize them for repair and replacement programs, as well as for sales.
  • We recycle close to 100 percent of the materials from any returned products or repair parts that cannot be re-used, and partner with a certified recycler to ensure responsible recycling practices*.
  • In calendar year 2017, Nintendo of America processed 200 tons of returned products (U.S., Canada and Latin America) with a 99 percent recycle rate. Nintendo of America also reused almost two-thirds of returned products in their original form, which is the most environmentally friendly recycling option.

How to recycle or repair Nintendo products:

  • Repair
    If your Nintendo system is no longer working, a repair might be an option for you. We offer reasonably-priced repairs on many systems even long after retail stores stop selling them as new. Click here for more information on troubleshooting and repairs.

  • Take Back Program - Free!

    We provide a free courtesy product Take Back Program for the recycling of Nintendo hardware, software, accessories, and rechargeable batteries to consumers in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, we will also accept video game consoles made by other companies from consumers who also have purchased a Nintendo console.

    To participate in the Take Back Program, we need to send you a shipping label so that you can send in your products for recycling. Send an email to takebackprogram@noa.nintendo.com and we will send you complete instructions.

  • Recycle locally and responsibly**

    A variety of programs allow you to recycle your Nintendo products locally. Nintendo recommends that you choose a recycler with a commitment to supporting environmental stewardship who will handle the donated material in a responsible way.

*Additional information on Nintendo of America's recycling efforts:

Nintendo supports the goals of certifications such as R2 and e-Stewards, and we believe that a successful national recycling certification program must be supported by government, business and affiliated associations. Nintendo partners with an R2 certified national recycler with a commitment to environmental stewardship that meets our Corporate Social Responsibility goals and values, and we require the following from our recycling partner:

  • Certified in Quality, Health and Safety, and Environmental management systems (e.g. ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001), and R2 Responsible Recycling guidelines published by the EPA. https://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/certified-electronics-recyclers#01.
  • Prohibits the export of defective electronics for processing to non-OECD countries.
  • Transparent and closed-loop recycling process.
  • Full support for a zero electronics-to-landfill policy, and the utilization of domestic processors for preparation of materials for smelters and refiners.

Attn: Residents of the state of Illinois - All waste video game consoles, televisions, etc. generated by households in Illinois must be recycled. For more information about Illinois' electronic waste law, please visit the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency website at: www.epa.state.il.us/land/electronic-waste-recycling/index.html.

Attn: Residents of the state of Maine - All waste video game consoles, televisions, etc. generated by households in Maine must be recycled. For more information about Maine's electronic waste law, please visit the Maine Department of Environmental Protection website at: https://www.maine.gov/dep/waste/ewaste/oemplan.html

Attn: Residents of the state of Maryland - Waste televisions, hand-held video game consoles, and other electronic products with display screens exceeding 4 inches generated by households in Maryland must be recycled at no cost to the consumer. Nintendo provides a free courtesy product Take Back Program - Send an email to takebackprogram@noa.nintendo.com and we will send you complete instructions. If you require packaging, please note that in your email to the Take Back Program. For information about Maryland's electronic waste law, please visit: http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Land/RecyclingandOperationsprogram/Pages/ecycling.aspx.

Attn: Residents of the state of New York - All waste video game consoles, televisions, etc. generated by households in New York must be recycled. For more information about New York's electronic waste law, please visit the New York Department of Environmental Conservation website at: www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/66872.html.

Attn: Residents of the state of Vermont - All waste computer, televisions, printers, monitors, etc. generated by households in Vermont must be recycled. For information about Vermont's electronic waste law, please visit the Vermont E-Waste Recycling Program website at: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/e-waste/.

Attn: Residents of the state of West Virginia - Waste televisions, hand-held video game consoles, and other electronic products with display screens exceeding 4 inches generated by households in West Virginia must be recycled. For information about West Virginia's electronic waste law, please visit the West Virginia Solid Waste Management Board website at: https://www.state.wv.us/swmb/ewaste/e-Cycle_WV.html.

 

**Your personal information:

If your Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Wii, Nintendo DSi or family of Nintendo 3DS products is functional enough to do so, remove any personal information from it before you sell, donate or recycle it. For steps to remove your personal information, use these links:
Wii U      Wii      Nintendo DSi / Nintendo DSi XL      Nintendo 3DS family systems

For consumer protection, we dismantle and crush all items received through our Take Back prior to shipping them out to be shredded for recycling. This process permanently destroys all consumer data contained on the system before it leaves our facility.

 

More about Nintendo of America and the environment

For additional information on Nintendo of America's efforts to protect the environment and better the community, please read our Corporate Social Responsibility Report.