What is E- Waste?
“E-waste”, “electronic waste”, “e-scrap” and “end-of-life electronics” are terms often used to describe used electronics that are nearing the end of their useful life, and are discarded, donated or given to a recycler. Though “e-waste” is the commonly used term, EPA considers e-waste to be a subset of used electronics and recognizes the inherent value of these materials that can be reused, refurbished or recycled to minimize the actual waste that might end up in a landfill or improperly disposed in an unprotected dump site.
It’s amazing how much technology, gadgets, wires, and batteries we have these days. We accumulate more e-waste than we’re able to handle, so it’s good to get it under control.
I’m guilty of not keeping electronic waste to a minimum—over the past few years, we’ve thinned down things in our home like furniture, clothes, and toys, but the electronics still pile up.
Technology has improved so rapidly in the past few decades that today it’s hard to imagine what the world would be like without electronic devices.
I’m finally making a conscious effort to manage our family’s e-waste.
Here’s a few ideas I’ve gathered.
1 : Educate yourself, and be a little afraid
Most electronic gadgets have toxic materials in them, so it is extremely important to dispose of them the right way. Educate yourself, your kids, and your friends. These toxins should push us to be more mindful of e-waste.
2 : Take them back to the store
A few stores have a buy-back program. Before you purchase a new gadget at a store, ask the store if they’ll buy back your old camera, laptop, or any other electronic. Best Buy has a trade-in option, where you can get rid of your old equipment in exchange for Best Buy gift cards.
3 : Sell
Sell your electronic items as soon as you don’t need them; they lose value rapidly when newer models come on the market. Craigslist is a good option to sell heavy or lower value items, since shipping isn’t involved.
4 : Give away or donate your e-waste
If you don’t need a thing, donate it so someone else can use it. Donations are great for tax deductions; often the amount will be close to the value of the item if you tried to sell it.
If something you have isn’t worth donating, maybe give your stuff away for free on sites like FreeCycle.
5 : Think ahead
We actually had to pay to toss a bunch of electronics the last time we moved. We didn’t have enough time to find people that wanted what we had, which felt terrible.
There’s no quick way to get rid of e-waste—we have to dispose of them sooner or later, so why not make money on them now? Don’t let them pile up.
6 : Buy less
Buying things we simply do not need is probably the biggest cause of e-waste. We need to stop (really, STOP) and ask ourselves if we even need a gadget or electronic item BEFORE we buy it.
We need to activate that voice in our heads that prevents us from buying electronic items we simply don’t need.
7 : Organize what you have
If you don’t organize your gadgets, wires, connectors and DVDs, you’ll never really know what you have. The last thing you want is to buy something you think you need, only to find a duplicate buried in your cabinet.
8 : Extend the life of your electronics
Buy a case, keep your device clean, and avoid overcharging the battery.
Some Other Strategies
- Be a good consumer. Do some research when you’re ready to buy a new product. Make sure it’s one that won’t break easily or become damaged shortly after you purchase it. In other words, look for products likely to have a much longer lifespan so you won’t need to replace it within a few years, or even months. It’s known that this is a common practice in the electronics industry; to make products with shorter life spans so more money can be earned in the long run when they break or malfunction.
- Teach kids about e-waste. Children are our future, and it helps if we can instill within them at a young age a commitment to e-waste recycling.
- Educate yourself on what gets put into your electronics. Knowledge is power. Doing some research about the raw materials being used to manufacture your mobile phone or laptop helps you understand how harmful those materials and toxins can be if they’re tossed into a landfill. The more you educate yourself the more you can purchase items that won’t be harmful to the environment.
- Look for an environmentally friendly label. For example, see if the products you buy are labeled Energy Star, or have been certified by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool.
- Recycle, recycle, recycle. No matter what you have, it’s important to always dispose of your e-waste properly. That means recycling all of your used electronics, with the understanding that improperly disposing of e-waste is becoming more and more hazardous, particularly since the volume of e-waste has skyrocketed.
- Reuse as often as possible. If you have parts and equipment that are still working, try repairing the electronic device before getting a new one. And if the device is beyond the point of being repaired, then recycle it.
Do’s :
- Always look for information on the catalogue with your product for end-of-life equipment handling
- Ensure that only Authorized Recyclers/Dismantler handle your electronic (i.e. LED Tv’s and accessories) products
- Always call at our toll-free No’s to Dispose products that have reached end-of life
- Always drop your used electronic products, batteries or any accessories when they reach the end of their life at your nearest Authorized E-Waste Collection Points.
- Always disconnect the battery from the product, and ensure any glass surface is protected against breakage.
Don’ts :
- Do not dismantle your electronic Products on your own
- Do not throw electronics in bins having “Do not Dispose” signs.
- Do not give e-waste to informal and unorganized sectors like Local Scrap Dealer/ Rag Pickers.
- Do not dispose of your product in garbage bins along with municipal waste that ultimately reaches landfills.
Author Bio – Vivek Roy is an enthusiastic Tech and gadget blogger from India. He loves to share tips and news from all around the world. For more information about him visit his website Leaf Studios.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.
