In an age where technological advances multiply at an overwhelming rate, recycling old and unwanted electronics is crucial. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, of the more than 2 million tons of TVs, cell phones and computer products discarded last year, only 18 percent were recycled. The rest mainly ended up in landfills.
I was sure that by now, it would be second nature to dispose of all unwanted items, including electronics, in a safe and secure way. Cell phones, computers and digital camera corporations, for example, often provide mail-back programs that enable consumers to return their old products.
But apparently that isn’t enough.
The problem is many people fail to understand the importance of electronics recycling. Although the necessities of basic recycling have been drilled into our heads since we were kids, it is less likely that you intuitively know how to recycle your obsolete electronics. It’s one thing to understand the principles of recycling electronics for multiple uses, but it’s another to implement them. If society does not learn to reuse the technologies it has, we will end up with a dilemma of monumental proportions.
Electronics have a notoriously short shelf life. Computers, cell phones and MP3 players are generally replaced after only two to five years. The Consumer Electronics Association states that the average household owns 24 consumer electronic products. Think about every appliance and electronic device you own. Now think about your neighbors’. Add your friends’ and the rest of the city’s, and you have a colossal heap. Even if you don’t jump at the opportunity to buy the new Blackberry or latest iPod released this year, eventually some technology you own will fail. What will you do then? Hint: Don’t throw it in the trash. Your abandoned electronics add up. They overrun landfills and release harmful toxins.
Local electronics recycling organizations exist all over the country; they encourage people to donate their broken-down computers, cell phones, televisions and other items in order to be reused and refurbished. NextStep Recycling in Eugene takes your old electronic devices and recycles them. It sorts out which parts can be reused, and safely dismantles the rest. In addition, the organization also refurbishes your unwanted but still functional computers, and provides them to people in need. There are, of course, some items that require a fee to recycle, due to their complex dismantling and recycling process. It’s not always cheap to dispose of toxic waste, but it’s of vital importance that national as well as local groups are trying in spite of the obstacles.
Ultimately, our nation lacks a strong plan for reusing electronics. We cannot hope to provide new concepts without knowing how to move past the old ones. I am all for buying second-hand televisions, if it means there is two tons less lead getting dumped in a landfill. I am confident our planet will force us to come to a resolution. Whether the solution is positive or fatalistic, we will have to wait and see.
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