Two months ago, a neighbor down the street put some gadgets out for recyclers to pick up. While walking by, he asked me if I wanted any because he knew I dabble in computers. I grabbed an Apple laptop, wireless trackpads, 700w inverter, DVD recorder devices and other gear. Took me less than an hour to get them all working. Lots of things get trashed that are still useful, a real shame. I'd rather they get sold than trashed, as others (like me) combine components to repair machines. In the last few weeks I've bought used components for a few bucks (dc-in board and a laptop keyboard) to repair friend's laptops. This is not a passing of a disposal problem to someone else; it is avoiding a disposal situation by returning devices to useful service.
Reuse is the most efficient form of recycling, and Apple hardware tends to have a longer useful life, as reflected in its resale value. The first-generation iPhone is seven years old now, and they're still pretty hard to find for under $100. I have one that I use as an iPod, and while the OS is now four years out of date, no new apps are supported on it, and the battery doesn't hold the charge it used to, it makes a fine media player. Add the L5 remote dongle and it's a completely customizable universal remote.
It'll be a while yet before I take it to an Apple store for recycling.
I do hate to see perfectly good machines go to waste. Your is truly a valuable service. You know how to rescue perfectly good equipment and doubtless know how to dispose of it properly.