The gadgets that we all have come to love and depend on are finally starting to catch up with the world. Electronic Waste, also fittingly known as e-waste is piling in developing countries while their poorest citizens pay the price… but thankfully the problem is now getting some long overdue media coverage, but is it enough? Time magazine released an article this week along with a slide-show highlighting the plight of e-waste on the impoverished people of Guiyu, China; a “recycling hub” for e-waste from the western world. USA Today wrote another chilling story in late December about the horrors of e-waste while CBS’s 60 Minutes brought the problem to prime time in November.
Being someone who is always first in line to buy the latest, greatest and must-have gadgets I’m sure I’ve had my fair share of e-waste. I rarely have an electronic device more than six months before I’m on to something newer, faster, cooler. Thankfully for my sake I rarely toss any of my old gadgets in the garbage because they usually are all handed down to friends and family who feed off my thirst for pretty new toys (and then they usually pass them down to someone else a few years later)… however that doesn’t mean my desire for that new smart phone won’t eventually cause cancer in a toddler halfway across the world.
The sad point is the problem with e-waste is just going to continue to get worse unless drastic measures are taken. As more of the world becomes empowered by the new gadgets the western world has been accustom to for two decades the problem will simply compound year after year because more electronic devices are being sold. The problem is a tough one, the solution is even tougher and there is no simple answer. A glimmer of good news is the deadliest of all these gadgets, CRT monitors are almost a thing of the past and more companies are taking a proactive approach to producing “greener” products (see the new MacBook Pro for an example).
There are also other ways to take proactive steps to getting the most out of your old and used up electronic devices. Just because that phone isn’t chic doesn’t mean that someone else out there wouldn’t be thrilled to have it at a reduced cost. You can always sell your old gear on web sites like Craig’s List or eBay, or you could donate that old computer or cell phone to non-profits like Goodwill or the Salvation Army (while getting a tax deduction to boot). There are also quite a few commercial recyclers out there that could help, just do some research before hand as this 60 Minutes video points out they’re not all reliable. Then there’s always Gazelle (formerly Second Rotation) that can help you make a buck or recycle straight up.
The bottom line is whatever you do, don’t just toss those old gadgets in the garbage can. There are plenty of ways to take a proactive approach to recycling or reusing those old gadgets and every minute those gadgets are reused by someone else means that gadget isn’t being melted down over an open flame polluting villages like Guiyu with toxic fumes and hazardous waste. If you need further motivation to get off your butt and figure out a better way to get rid of all of those old gadgets check out the extremely up close and personal video from Laura Ling and Current.com below. If this video doesn’t shake you to the core, nothing will.
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