Having my cake and eating it too

Our digital camera (which we've had for a couple years now) started making a grindy noise every time the lens opened. Finally, the lens froze up completely; it's still possible to review pictures on the memory stick, but you can't take photos -- which, hello, is what it's for. So I took it to a camera store and got an estimate for cleaning & reassembling the camera:

$164.

OK, for that price, we could get a new and improved camera. BUT -- I'm trying to reduce/reuse/recycle, and buying a new camera seemed contrary to that goal. So I was really torn over what to do.

(And hey, how lucky am I to have this problem? "How shall I spend my $164?")

Luckily I had the sense to toss this question to SL (who is not online), and she found http://www.recyclingforcharities.com/

I can mail them my camera, and they'll determine whether it can be rehabilitated and resold (in which case they'll donate the proceeds to a charity that I picked); if not, they'll make sure its components are disposed of as environmentally responsibly as possible.

I get a camera, the planet is marginally less despoiled, and the Red Cross gets a donation; how cool is that?