With technology moving at record-speed, the latest and greatest gadgets are obsolete so darn quickly. When we discard these electronic devices, where do they go?
According to a recent New York Times article titled, “One Thing You Can Do: Keep Your Gadgets Out of the Trash”:
“About half of American states, including New York, have e-waste recycling laws, and around 20 states ban certain types of electronics from landfills. These laws were adopted because many gadgets contain toxic metals — like lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium — that can leak into groundwater and soil, poisoning the ecosystem.
Want to keep the environment cleaner, and teach your kids the importance of recycling?
Here are 2 things the article suggests to do instead of throwing away unwanted gadgets:
-
- Give those devices a second life. “That applies especially to laptops, tablets and cellphones, which we often discard simply because we want to upgrade.” Check out Computers With Causes or the World Computer Exchange.
- Take the devices to a certified recycling center. Many electronics can be refurbished for reuse.
Troy Hanna, a reuse technician at the Lower East Side Ecology Center says,
“When I refurbish an old computer and somebody buys it, then I do my job twice. First for the environment, and second for that person who can now use a device that would have ended up in the landfill.”