What types of obsolete technology do you have around your home or office? Maybe a box television set, a VCR player, a broken desktop computer, etc. With new technology coming into the picture so often, it can become too expensive or inconvenient to fix these old devices. Sometimes it’s more energy efficient to update, but what do you do with all of those broken or old pieces of technology that you’re storing?
There are a slew of toxins within your computer such as lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium and hexavalent chromium, which can have an effect on our health and environment. Although your first thought might be to toss your old technologies into the garbage and send them off to a landfill, it’s not a wise choice. Plus, depending on what state you live in, your garbage collector might not even touch your e-waste. For example, there are 20 states that have laws regarding e-waste. Maryland has made the dumping of technology in landfills illegal, and they have also required computer manufacturers to offer recycling programs to consumers.
If you’re simply replacing your old technology with new technology, find out if a local organization or school would like to reuse your devices. Just because your television isn’t a flat screen, doesn’t mean that you should throw it out when you upgrade. Or maybe a friend or family member can get some use out of your old desktop computer.
On the other hand, if your devices are beyond repair or too expensive to fix, find a local recycler that will accept them. You might have to pay a fee to dispose of each television or computer, but at least, the technology will be recycled.
Recycling or reusing your e-waste as much as possible is the best route to take, because if this type of waste gets into landfills there is potential for those toxins to reach the groundwater and soil. Also, e-waste is illegally brought into China (under Hong Kong law) from the U.S. and disposed of there, which is simply masking the problem instead of solving it. When you do replace the technologies you recycle, try to choose ones made from more sustainable and less toxic materials too.
