MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2001--As college students are deciding what TVs, computers, VCRs and other technology to take back to school, multi-platinum recording artist, Moby, is helping to educate back-to-school shoppers at Best Buy about the importance of recycling consumer electronics. According to a recent Best Buy survey, more than 80 percent of college students have unwanted or unused consumer electronics they would recycle if it was easy and convenient to do so. A new program at Best Buy provides all consumers the opportunity to learn more about electronics recycling and, in the future, will help them recycle products.

Disposing of electronics in an environmentally-friendly manner can be difficult because either communities do not offer recycling programs for these products or consumers don't know where to get information about recycling. During the back-to-school shopping season, Best Buy, the nation's leading consumer electronics retailer, will help consumers understand the importance of recycling, learn how they can recycle locally and, in select locations, will host events to collect and recycle outdated electronics safely.

Beginning July 22, Moby will help provide Best Buy shoppers information about recycling in their community through in-store promotional materials, including in-store TV programming, shopping cart posters and gift bag inserts distributed to high school and college students with a valid school I.D. on August 14.

``There are a lot of things we can recycle by reusing them. Unfortunately, that's not the case with electronics. The question with old electronics is what do you do with them once they've outlived their usefulness,'' said Moby. ``Best Buy started a campaign for recycling old electronics that will allow them to be recycled safely.''

Recycling events at two Twin Cities-based Best Buy stores on August 3 and 4, will offer consumers the first opportunity to dispose of unwanted or outdated electronics, and similar events will be held at select Best Buy stores across the country this fall. Best Buy also will provide shoppers nationwide with an educational brochure about environmental issues connected to electronics and other recycling opportunities in their area.

The Best Buy recycling program will allow consumers to drop off old and unwanted computers, monitors, televisions, VCRs and other electronic items at specific Best Buy stores during special collection events. A handling fee will be charged for each discarded item with a picture tube. There will be no fee for all other items. Recycling companies will be contracted by Best Buy to carry out the recycling services. Best Buy will launch the program in selected markets this fall and plans to expand into additional Best Buy communities over the next several years.

Best Buy announced the recycling program in April at the Electronic Products Recovery and Recycling national conference. This marks the first time a consumer electronics retailer has committed to providing its customers with electronics recycling opportunities nationally. Best Buy has a long-standing policy of recycling waste and other recyclables at all store locations nationwide. Best Buy works with a waste management company and complies with all city and state requirements to recycle materials such as cardboard, aluminum, plastic, glass and paper.

Multi-platinum recording artist, Moby, is a three-time Grammy nominee and has sold 8 million records worldwide. His current album, Play, featuring Southside, Moby's hit single and video featuring Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, has received widespread critical praise. Moby is currently on tour with AREA:ONE, a summer music festival he put together also featuring Outkast, Incubus, New Order, Nelly Furtado, and other artists, playing 16 markets from July 11 to August 5. Moby began life as Richard Hall, a direct descendent of Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick.

Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY - news) is the nation's number one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. The Enterprise operates retail stores and commercial Web sites under the names: Best Buy, (BestBuy.com), Magnolia Hi-Fi, Media Play (MediaPlay.com), On Cue (OnCue.com), Sam Goody (SamGoody.com) and Suncoast (Suncoast.com). The Company reaches consumers through more than 1,800 retail stores nationwide, in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Editor's Note: Call contact to receive Best Buy back-to-school media kit.

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Contact:

Best Buy Co., Inc., Minneapolis
Joy Harris, 952/995-5448
joy.harris@bestbuy.com