Technology has had its impact on today’s world in more ways than one. Most people see technology as a gift, an innovation, and an opportunity to grow. Technology is all of those things, and the possibilities are endless, but where do all the gadgets go when they don’t work anymore?
Nothing lasts forever, and the same goes for cell phones and computers. When electronics are disposed of in your garbage can, they can have serious negative environmental consequences. Luckily, below is a list of responsible ways to dispose of your old electronics.
Reuse
The easiest and most effective way to safely dispose of electronics is to give them to somebody who will use them. Obviously, this only applies to devices that can be reused. Most times, cell phone providers have a plan where your phone can be upgraded to a newer model for little to no charge.
In this case, where do all the old phones that are still usable go? Giving these devices to other people or family members is a great way to avoid the improper disposal of gadgets.
Sell
Going along the same principle as reusing, selling your devices can be just as efficient and effective. It may not be as morally rewarding as donating or giving your old device away, but you can still be certain if somebody is buying your device that they need it and will use it. Also, whoever said putting a couple of extra dollars in your pocket is bad?
Household Hazardous Waste Facilities
Some facilities properly manage and dispose of electronic devices. Essentially, they disassemble the electronic device and recycle each part of the device that can be recycled. Then they take the toxic parts of the device, like the lithium battery, and properly dispose of them. This process is called E-waste recycling.
The interesting part about this is Best Buy, and other electronic companies are starting to collect devices and take them to these facilities. So if you have an electronic device that needs to be disposed of and live by a store that you know collects devices, that could be the perfect place to go.
Conclusion
Innovation should be embraced. People should welcome new ideas and possibilities with open arms, but the negative pieces of new things shouldn’t be overshadowed by opportunity. Sometimes great things have bad consequences.For example, nuclear power is one of the cleanest and strongest energy sources out there, but nuclear waste is detrimental to the ecosystem.
Instead of ignoring the waste and basking in the ambiance of new clean power, the waste should be addressed. The same logic can be applied to electronics. Even though these gadgets are a part of our daily lives, the problem of disposing of them properly hasn’t been heavily addressed. Once everyone is on board with the proper electronics disposal, the possibilities are endless.
