What to do with old electronics
Somehow you made it to the 'nice list' this
year and Santa was good to you..... very good
in fact. Gifting you with some sparkly new
electronics. Well done! But now, you are
staring at that island of misfit gadgets in
your home. You know,
like that cell phone
that dates back to
the flip era, a laptop
that requires regular
biceps curls to lug
from room to room, or
that once-cutting-edge
3-megapixel digital
camera.
The most likely reason
you haven't banished
these devices from
your home yet is that
recycling them is such
a hassle. Admittedly,
it's much easier to toss
these relics in the trash than it is to dispose
of them properly—but not only would this
be wrong, it's also illegal in Washington.
Electronic products are made from valuable
resources and materials, including metals,
plastics, and glass, all of which require
energy to mine and manufacture. Donating
or recycling consumer electronics conserves
our natural resources and avoids air and
water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas
emissions that are caused by manufacturing
virgin materials.
Disposing of digital detritus appropriately
may take a little research, but
often it's as easy as
bringing the junk
with you on your
next shopping trip.
Most electronics
manufacturers have
programs in place to
take items back, either
at drop-off locations
or through the mail.
And retailers often have
bins for depositing items
such as spent batteries.
Electronics
OVERLOAD
Your old phone or camera may
be junk to you, but someone
else might think it's the bomb.
Before you give it up for
recycling, consider selling it,
donating it, or trading it in.
Tip
