Dive Brief:

• NextWorth Solutions, an electronics trade-in and recycling services provider, announced a partnership with the Wireless Zone system, a Verizon Wireless franchise. The recycling service will be available at over 375 retail stores.
• NextWorth first tested the trade-in plan through a pilot program, which was deemed a success. 
• Consumers bring a used electronic device to a participating Verizon retailer and are compensated with a gift card toward a new device or other purchase at Wireless Zone stores.

Dive Insight:

NextWorth’s chief marketing officer Jeff Trachsel said, "Trade-in is becoming an increasingly important way in for retailers and carriers to enable customers to upgrade faster and for less."

In April 2013, Apple launched its e-waste recycling program, which encourages consumers to drop off unwanted Apple devices at its stores in exchange for gift cards. Apple said the offer was created to keep electronics out of landfills. At the beginning of July of this year, however, the company announced it was issuing a lower trade-in value for the consumer devices: from $270 to a new value of $225.