Photo by permission of Daniel R. Blume
As technology advances, I have seen more monitors, computers, televisions, and other electronic equipment left at the end of driveways or in trash cans waiting to hitch a ride to the nearest landfill. According to the EPA, only twelve percent of electronic equipment is recycled.
The sad part is the nearest landfill could be a third world country. A couple of days ago, I wrote an article about GreenDisk, the producers of the technotrash can, which you can use to dispose of electronic media, and certain electronic equipment. My decision to team up with GreenDisk was due to my reading of a Mother Earth article, which showed a picture of a cherub Chinese child on top of a mountain of our electronic waste.
It was deeply disturbing.
Please watch this shortened version of a video produced by Basel Action Network about what happens to our electronic equipment after it is shipped to third world countries.
Ideas to Prevent Electronics from Entering the Waste Stream
Here are some other ideas on how to prevent your electronic equipment from entering the waste stream:
- Think of computer carpooling instead of curb side dumping. Form a neighbor group where you take turns going to your local or county recycling center to drop off computer electronic equipment.
- Take your own computers and televisions back to their manufacturers. Many electronic companies are either taking back their computers for free or for a fee. Such fee based companies may waive the fee if you buy another piece of equipment from them or give you a credit towards a future sale instead. See a list created by the Electronic TakeBack Coalition.
- Find a responsible recycler for your electronic equipment. According to the Electronic Take Back Coalition there are many recyclers who simply remove the valuable metals from the equipment and send the rest to either a landfill or incinerator.In addition, many workers do not receive adequate protection to prevent their exposure to chemical compounds, which are hazardous to their health.
“We may think we’re doing the right thing by giving our old electronics to a ‘recycler’ or a free collection event,” said Sarah Westervelt, BAN’s e-Stewardship Program Director. ‘But most of those businesses calling themselves recyclers are little more than international waste distributors. They take your old equipment for free, or pocket your recycling fee, and then simply load it into a sea-going container, and ship it to China, India or Nigeria,” in a joint press release issued by the Basal Action Network and the Electronic TakeBack Coalition.
The press release further states:
“Consumers are urged to avoid recyclers not on this list including free e-waste collection events that do not state that they only use e-Stewards recyclers.
“We strongly urge all consumers to avoid all but those recyclers that have qualified as e-Stewards. If your local recycler has not qualified for the program, ask them to do so. Otherwise while trying to do the right thing with recycling, you can unwittingly become a player in a global digital dumping game, and end up poisoning those in developing countries,”
- Think Reuse rather than Recycle for computers and their associated equipment that are less than 5 years old.Many of these computers still have a life. See Share the Technology as to places where to donate your computers such as a school or not for profit.In addition, check out the National Christina Foundation, which coordinates donations with recipients throughout the world. Note, that the Foundation will only take computers that meet their requirements.
- Another resource is Global Crisis Solution Center, which lists several organizations all over the world. However, the links has not been updated since 2006, so you are bound to get some bad links or ones that you may need to go the home site to find the right link. In Canada, the Electronic Recycling Association donates used computers and its equipments to various charities. See information about pick-up services for businesses in Canada, US, and UK, and drop-off locations in Canada.
- For working televisions and other electronic equipment, check the Electronic industrial Alliance to find out reuse, recycle, or donation programs. (Note, many states on this list may only have recycling programs.) Check with your local Goodwill, local charity, local senior center, teen centers, or old age home. In addition, either sell or offer your electronics for free on Freecycle or CraigsList.
- Check out Earth 911 for recycling information.
- See the EPA list of plug-in partners for electronic recycling. Some of the more common names on the plug-in list are Staples, Office Depot, and Wal-Mart.Check before you go to see what else they may recycle such as ink jet print cartridges and cell phones.
- Consider putting a box at the office, school, or a neighborhood function for people to drop off their small hand held electronics.Someone can volunteer and take them to any plug-in partner or other company or government agency that recycles electronic waste. See approved recyclers above.
- Follow the sport’s agent Leigh Steinberg’s lead, and have an e-box available at your Super bowl party! (He is the agent whose life was the inspiration for the movie, Jerry Maguire.) See story on Earth 911.
Join the Conversation:
Do you have any other ideas? Please share. Our electronic indulgences should not be third world countries’ responsibilities.
Would you want your children to live among such waste?
Homeowners Insurance - Hometown Quotes says
January 31, 2008 at 7:04 amOne mans trash is another mans trash disguised as treasure.
Green Talk says
January 31, 2008 at 10:30 amHomeowners Insurance, the sad part is this trash causes such horrific issues for these people. All this could be avoided if we simply recycled with an e-steward recycler. Anna
Mark @ TalkClimateChange says
February 1, 2008 at 9:04 amThis is all such a pity, and so much opportunity going to waste for third world countries who have huge unemployment. Tragic.
Mark @ TalkClimateChange’s last blog post..Aviation and Energy – Looking on The Bright Side
Rich says
February 1, 2008 at 10:17 amHere’s something that is so easy and makes so much sense. Everyone will pretty much need to purchase cartridges so…I came across information through a business customer and looked further into it. Here is what I found, ” Over 700 million cartridges were thrown away world-wide in 2003 – and since more and more people use inkjet cartridges this amount will continue to grow year after year.Empty cartridges contain residual toner powder, ink, a plastic casing, aluminum and other parts. These parts are all non-biodegradable and they will take more than 1000 years to decompose in landfill sites.The remanufacturing of cartridges as an alternative to producing new ones currently reduces world demand of oil by 300,000 barrels and saves 17,000 tons of aluminum as well as 10,000,000 tons of timber. Besides helping to reduce carbon emissions, a major cause of global warming, it conserves resources and reduces waste.1.5 pints of crude oil are needed to produce one cartridge. In the last 6 months alone inkjet cartridge recycling has saved more than 50 million liters of oil, more than the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989.”Wow, so my whole point is this client twotonellc.com remanufacturers ink and toner cartridges and considering the above information it only makes common sense to buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges. You save money, get a higher yield (more prints) and save the environment.
Green Talk says
February 1, 2008 at 10:23 amRich, where can you reycle twotonellc’s cartridges? I don’t think Staples takes remanufacturered ink and toner cartridges. Also, I was having problems finding that the cartridges were remanufactured. Can you point to a link? Are they remanufactured from used cartridges? Anna
Kim says
February 4, 2008 at 5:36 pmGreat info……thanks so much, I’ve already passed your blog and the BAN website to several other greenies.
Kim
Kim’s last blog post..the world of toys
Mateo says
February 19, 2008 at 10:15 amGreat article… thought you’d like to know that Nova Scotia just started a mandatory e-waste recycling program earlier this month. I’ll see if I can dig up the details of it for you.
Green Talk says
February 19, 2008 at 6:35 pmMateo-I would love that link. I wish the world would follow suit. Is this the only place in Canada doing this? Anna
Mateo says
February 20, 2008 at 2:30 amHi Anna, Here’s the link to one of the press releases:
http://www.halifax.ca/mediaroo.....ogram.html
I don’t think we’re the first province in Canada to do this, but we might been the most strict about it. Either way, it’s a great first step!
Green Talk says
February 20, 2008 at 11:08 amMateo, thanks for the link! This is great start. Anna
matt says
March 7, 2008 at 7:49 pmGreat post, but certainly scary. We just sourced a good, responsible recycler (greencitizen.com) for our office. I feel better having achieved that. Now it’s time to keep helping others make the right decisions. Thanks.
David says
May 29, 2008 at 5:36 amGreat article!
I did one too and one problem seems to be corporations operating in Europe must do some recycling but in the U.S. the laws are weak; so I’m not sure if companies do much on old CRTs (TVs, monitors) and stuff. I also suspect that some of those ships just dump waste in the ocean. If you care to read my blog here it is:http://ecomerge.blogspot.com/2.....waste.html
David’s last blog post..Electric Cars
Anthem says
May 31, 2010 at 11:23 pmOverall I liked the article; however, here we go again. The United States always seems to get the blame for the world’s problems. I’ll believe it when I see it that Europe and Japan are handling the e-waste problem responsibly. Just because laws are enacted does not mean they’re enforced. And for those under developed countries: Their governments strive to keep the masses poor and ignorant while lining their own pockets. I’ll bet someone in those government gets a big kickback from those who are importing. There’s obviously money to be made in the recycling business, especially when it’s corrupt. Clean up the corruption first instead of imposing extra taxes and fees on consumers. And allow honest recyclers the chance to carry out what needs to be done without severe and costly government intervention.
Water pump says
February 16, 2012 at 5:05 pmI believe that each individual needs to take responsibility for their own part in this mess. Whether it is the US or any other country we would not be in this situation if people were responsible and took the proper steps to begin with. You actions effect many and everyone should be aware of what they are doing both good and bad.