If you’ve been nice, you probably got some neat new gadgets and gear upgrades. Congrats!

Now it’s time to responsibly recycle your old, unwanted gadgets. They may have overstayed their welcome with you, but chances are good that someone, somewhere can use it for years to come. Gizmodo, in an update to its holiday recycling guide has some great pointers on getting rid of your old PCs, smartphones and other devices, and perhaps getting some extra holiday cash out of the process.

If you decide to recoup some cash and sell the gadgets, the most direct way is to sell them yourself on sites like Craigslist or eBay…The condition of your item makes a big difference when selling directly so make sure to factor any damage into your search criteria as well. Also, be sure to wipe any personal information from your devices before you deliver them to the buyer.

Newsweek highlights the dangers of just chucking out your old gear with the regular trash.

Many electronics contain toxic materials such as lead, arsenic, beryllium and mercury. If these materials seep into the ecosystem they can harm plant, animal and human life. People are exposed to mercury, for instance, almost entirely by eating contaminated fish or wildlife, with unborn children being the population most at risk. If a pregnant woman ingests enough mercury, her child can experience neurological development issues.

In New York, tossing e-waste with the trash can lead to a$100 fine as of Jan. 1, 2015. It pays to check the e-waste laws in your state, too. The Boston Globe reports:

There are now electronics recycling laws in 25 states, but not all go as far as New York’s, which bans landfill disposal of computers and peripherals, televisions, cathode ray tubes and small electronic equipment like VCRs and game consoles. Massachusetts, Maine, and Minnesota ban only cathode ray tubes like those in older TVs and computer monitors from landfills.

Photo credit: Flickr user David Morris – CC