Working together for e-waste issues

Electronic waste, also know as e-waste is the fastest growing trend in American landfills, with an estimated growth of 18% annually. Currently we’ re dumping up to 50 million metric tons a year! Your old TV’ s, cell phones, batteries, printers, computers and other electronic toys all leak toxic chemical into the landfills and in turn our planet, when they are simply thrown out with the trash. Each tv can leak up to 8 lbs of lead.  New flat panel televisions add mercury to the landfills. E-waste accounts for 70% of the toxic metals in our landfills, while only 13% of e-waste is correctly disposed of.

E-waste is a growing problem for our environment. With the rapid rate that our technology grows and the increasing dependency we place on it, it’ s become a real concern that we are faced with today. The average American will replace their computer every 2 years and their cell phone at least once a year. This alone is cause for alarm. Not to mention televisions, mp3 players, gaming systems, and other house hold electronics.

There are already some alternative ways established for disposing of your techy gadgets when you feel the urge to go out and get the latest and greatest model on the market. Many companies are already doing what then can to be responsible by encouraging consumers to return their cell phones, ipods and computers to them so they can be properly disposed of or better yet recycled. They offer trade in incentives and rebates to sway customers to return their products back to them. Other companies offer repair services, boasting they can upgrade and repair your gadgets so you don’ t need to replace them. Internet sites like Ebay and Craig’ s List have also proved successful in the resale of these lightly used phones, laptops, ipads and the likes. But even with these sources available, tons of e-waste, literally, is being disposed of incorrectly.

My hope is that in the near future, technology its self can help solve the problem of e-waste. I believe in the power, connectivity and convenience that all these wonderful technological products offer us, but I also believe we need to be mindful of the e-waste situation they are creating and come up with a proactive plan to correct it for the sake of our planet. If all the brilliant developers and programmers of Apple, IBM, and other industry leaders would devote some time to working together to create an e-waste prevention plan, I’ m sure they could come up with a program that would benefit us all. Perhaps a global web application could be developed to be the go to place for all e-waste? It could be a massive database to buy used and recycled parts, teach consumers how to make their own repairs, offer credits each time you donate to the site, etc. There is endless potential for ideas on how to eliminate e-waste and help turn it into a business that would benefit manufacturers, consumers and our environment.

Article by Freelance writer Chrissy Edwards who writes for iPhone repair techs urging everyone to be responsible.



E-Waste and What To Do About It

E-Waste Rising and so are Solutions

The problem surrounding waste in this country is an obvious one, so enormous that various issues surrounding the disposal of waste often get overlooked. One of the fastest rising in terms of economic opportunity and overall exposure is the issue of electronic waste (e-waste).

The Big Money

For years much of the American e-waste has been shipped to countries like India and China, where regulations are not as stiff and the process becomes easier and more lucrative. 10 new e-waste plants are opening on the eastern side of the United States, as they can look to California for guidance. Although lacking still, California has the best e-scrap programs. With tougher restrictions for the exporting of e-waste, hopefully more of these centers will open up to create jobs and dispose of waste properly.

It is not surprising that in this time of recession and excess waste the two forces are combining. Many people are looking to computer and cell phone repair services for help. Others are digging deeper and venturing to DIY repairs. Items like iPhone repair and other popular products generally have the most repair information available on the web.

This information is quite extensive for video game consoles, computers and cell phones. It is easier than ever to make profits by selling old or saving by trade-in-then upgrade.

Sometimes a broken screen on a cell phone can be very cheap to fix. If the LCD display is messed up, the difficulty rises quickly. If you face a repair that may seem daunting, don't be afraid to ask for help, as there are plenty of services, likely in your area, that can help.

The need for appliances and gadgets that last a long time before breaking is as important as ever. But until manufacturers beging making our popular items with hardware that is build to last 10+ years, repairs are going to be the only well you could ever dream of a cell phone lasting that long.

If you would like to learn more about E-Waste, check out BAN to get you started.

Recycle Your Old Cell Phone

Did you know that less than 5% of cell phones are recycled?  Cell phones contain a number of hazardous toxins that pollute our ground soil and water system when not recycled or disposed of responsibly.   These toxins include antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc.  They are persistent, lingering in the surrounding environment for long periods of time without breaking down.  These toxins are associated with a wide range of reproductive, neurological, and developmental disorders;  and of course cancer.  Unfortunately, all of the toxins from cell phones have all been discovered in the typical human body. Most people do not realize that, in addition to the environmental problems created by cell phone disposal, there is also an ongoing humanitarian crisis.  The issue has to do with the Democratic Repubic of the Congo (DRC) formerly called Zaire.  The DRC has been in a state of civil war for over a decade.  The war has been fuelled primarily by an ore called columbite-tantalite, or colton.  When refined, the mineral is used to make capacitors found in cell phones and other portable electronic devices.  80% of the known reserves of this ore are located in the DRC.  Rebels have been illegally mining colton to fund their war efforts.  Up to 10 million civilians have been slaughtered since 1996 when the war began. Another side effect of mining colton has been large forest areas being depopulated, resulting in a decrease in the gorilla population in the DRC by 90% in less than a decade.  The African elephants have suffered a similar fate.  Get the picture? Cell phones are one of the most recyclable products there is.  Most can be re-used by various groups of people.  There are charities you can donate your old cell phone to or you can also sell the old phone to recycling companies.