Re:Side Effects (Score 1)

Japan often has recycling surcharges on computers, cars, cellphones, TV's etc, so that when you buy the machine, you are also buying the cost of recycling it too. Once you are sick of it, you just send it back to the maker and they recycle it.

Also most consumer electronics makers offer buy back schemes, to encourage you to update and upgrade.

This is just a smart move to get keep the Japanese massive consumerist market plugging along.