To that end, the companies will stage an event in Boston on Sept. 13 wherein the first 2,000 consumers to drop off their old electronics at Gillette Stadium receive a free "environmentally friendly" cloth tote.

And Sony is recycling an old television ad promoting what looks like one of its first Beta video recorders and players. Superimposed near the end are these words: "We're recycling our old 1970s commercials to remind you to recycle your old electronics." TV and newspaper print ads will run over the next couple of weeks prior to the Boston event and then roll out to other markets such as Phoenix, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta.

Along with Waste Management, Sony has collected about 9.2 million pounds of electronic waste.