Dell expands computer recycling program

Number one U.S. computer maker Dell has been building a nationwide recycling program for nearly five years, and efforts look to have picked a considerable amount of steam.

Today, Dell announced that its partnership with Goodwill Industries called Reconnect has been expanded into six more states: Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont. The program now counts over 1,000 Goodwill locations as recycling centers and is actually expecting to add jobs to handle Reconnect's growth.

Jim Gibbons, President and CEO for Goodwill Industries International said, "We commend Dell for setting a leadership example for the rest of the industry and for playing an important role in the creation of green-collar jobs."

Additionally, the company's system for trading in unwanted electronics for Dell gift cards known as Dell Exchange, has officially been launched. It has been in pilot tests since November, but is now to customers nationwide. The program accepts PCs, servers, monitors, cameras, phones, car and home audio equipment, iPods, video game consoles, and PNDs.