Best Buy, Microsoft, and Junk Kouture have joined forces in a partnership aimed at promoting responsible e-waste recycling during Earth Month in April. Throughout the month, customers can bring in eligible laptops and tablets to Best Buy for recycling and in return, they will receive a discount on a Microsoft Surface device.
The recycled devices will be repurposed by Junk Kouture, an organization that works with high school students to create sustainable fashion designs. These designs will be part of a global competition involving schools in major cities such as London, Milan, Paris, Dublin, New York City, and Abu Dhabi.
As part of the Earth Month initiative, Junk Kouture will be focusing on four New York schools, including Glen Cove High School, Fordham High School for the Arts, the High School of Fashion Industries, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School. Students from these schools will be using the recycled electronics provided by Best Buy to create “wearable pieces that hold a global message about recycling.”
Jane Smith, Chief Content Officer at Junk Kouture, expressed excitement about the partnership, emphasizing the blend of fashion, technology, and sustainability. She highlighted the organization’s goal of empowering young designers to see waste as a valuable resource for the future and praised the creative talent of students driving positive changes in recycling behavior.