Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Electronics

Computers, IPods, CDs, phones - these gadgets make our lives easier (and more annoying if you have to spend hours on the phone with tech support). In some ways, these gadgets also help us to live more green, through reducing our need for paper, maximizing efficiency in manufacturing and HR, etc. In other ways, our electronics have created a mess. This post is about what that mess is and how you can help to reduce it.
Electronics involve toxic materials in their manufacture - our old friends mercury, lead, and cadmium, to name a few - which leach out into the environment and into water supplies when disposed in landfills. The manufacturing process itself can emit air pollution, and of course, we can’t forget where these metals come from. Mining is an extremely environmentally-damaging activity, especially when done in countries who have little- to no- pollution controls or oversight. Take a look at Time’s 10 Most Polluted Cities in the World article here, 7 of which are Chinese, and it shows the devastation and pollution that irresponsible mining wreaks.
So what to do?
First, limit how many new electronics you get. Do you really need the hottest and latest new fad? The manufacture of new electronics is the most polluting part.
Second, if you can’t resist the newest iPhone, try to give away your old one, or recycle it for free at Best Buys nation-wide, Staples, the Philadelphia Zoo, etc. These companies will give your phone to someone who needs it, or if it can’t be used, they will break it down into recyclable parts, thus reducing the need to mine new materials. Computers can be recycled for free in some locations (check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s electronic waste recycling website for details). Dell will take back your old Dell computers for no cost, and Goodwill will accept donations of any brand of old computer at certain locations nation-wide. Electronics waste, such as batteries, CDs, floppies, etc., should also be reused or recycled. You can use CDs as coasters, or create some fun art.
Third, when you buy new electronics, research the company policies as to where they source materials and their energy efficiency. Buying the most energy efficient model will cut down on your energy costs and reduce waste and pollution.
In sum - don’t throw electronics waste in the garbage. It pollutes our groundwater and drinking water, and ends up in the environment. Recycle, donate or reuse. And when you buy new electronics, find a manufacturer whose ideals are the closest to yours (or mine :-).