Electronic waste has become a sad reality of this modern
age. Computers, ipods, and cellular devices are some of the
most prolific material items in the world, and the waste
that results from these devices has become the largest
solid waste stream in the world. There are two major
problems that stem from this. First, the waste is not
biodegradable, and second, the waste is extremely
hazardous. The majority of our waste is shipped to
developing countries and health problems arise as a result
of improper disposal methods within these countries. The
United States is responsible for much of this, as we are
one of the only remaining countries (and the only developed
country) who ships it hazardous e-waste to other countries.
It is time we implemented a great electronic circle of
life, in which our devices are recycled and reused, rather
than left in our landfills or shipped to other nations.
It begins with you. You buy the devices- millions of
laptops, ipods, and iphones are sold every day in the
United States. Many of these devices are rather disposable.
In the last few years, the average lifespan of a laptop has
shrunk to around 2 years. The average lifespan of an ipod
or iphone is about the same, as the lithium batteries
within the ipod or iphone usually last about 400 charges,
or two years of regular use. Thus, our devices are meant to
be disposable, as newer, faster devices are being produced
at a more rapid rate to keep up with the rate of technology
change.
The great electronic circle of life must begin sometime
within this average two year lifespan of the laptop,
iphone, or ipod. When one of these items breaks down, the
majority of people simply dispose of the old one and buy a
new one. The first step that we as consumers must take to
help prevent e-waste from continuing to pollute our
environment is to reuse our broken devices by buying new or
refurbished parts. Many of the common problems that people
run into with an iphone or ipod are simple to repair, such
as a screen or battery replacement. If it is not an easy
repair, there are plenty of self-help manuals online or
inexpensive repair services which make it an easy process
to repair one's iphone, ipod, or laptop. It is all at your
Google-searching fingertips.
The second step in the electronic circle of life is to
recycle the device at the end of its lifetime. If you are
looking to update your device or if your device is not
cost-effective to fix, the best option is to recycle the
laptop computer, ipod, or cell phone. You can get cash to
recycle your ipod, iphone, or laptop, even if it is broken.
When you recycle your electronic devices, the parts are
disposed of in an earth-friendly manner or reused in other
electronic devices; thus, this completes the great
electronic circle of life.
This process is simple and it needs to be implemented in
our daily actions. We must view our electronics as
recyclable and reusable items. Our planet is precious and
we cannot continue to take it for granted by caring more
for consumerism and materialism than we do for our own
health and our own environment. We must reuse the parts
from our electronic devices and recycle the parts we cannot
reuse. So go out, spread the news and recycle your devices!
----------------------------------------------------
Katy Marie is a freelance writer. It's easy to fix your
broken iphone at
http://www.iphonepartspro.com or your broken laptop at
http://www.laptopaid.us
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