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I came across several electronic devices that have been lurking in the corners for some time after a recent cleanup of my office closet: a video camera the size of a half gallon of ice cream, several old cell phones with bulky chargers and a palm pilot. And with only 13% of e-waste being recycled as well as being the fastest growing municipal waste stream, what is a struggling Green Samaritan to do?

A few options:

Nextworth will help you sell, upgrade and/or recycle your used gadget or video game the easiest, safest and fastest way possible either online or through Target and other participating merchants. With an easy search box to find out what the value of your item is, a pre-paid shipping label is provided to print off and take to the local post office. Once the item is received and inspection completed, cash cards are mailed in about 10 days.

Costco also has a Trade In and Recycle program for members and works in a similar fashion. After an easy search with product pictures to help match the item, any value of the devices will get you a Costco cash card. If the item has no market value (nice way to say really old junk), it will be accepted for recycling. In either case, Costco will provide a free shipping label and box to mail the items back.

Earth 911: Search by item and zip code to find a recycling location near you. Several places in Greensboro accept electronics like Office Depot, Staples and the Salvation Army.

As it turns out, my devices have no market value left so off to the recycling center they will go. Regardless, that is still of great value to me and much better option than the landfill.

Jeanne lives in Greensboro with her husband Tom and two children. She has recently launched The Green Samaritan, an eco-friendly blog. You can follow her on Twitter @greensamaritan and become a fan on Facebook.