Proper Recycling for Your Electronic Gadgets
Buying new phones to replace the old ones can seem quite easy enough if you have the money to spend. However, have you ever thought about how they get rid of those old gadgets? It is not that easy to dispose of these particular pieces of machinery, no matter how small they are.
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, an average American household alone contains at least 24 gadgets. It just means that if they are not recycled properly, there would be at least 24 new pieces of garbage to be put into a landfill to rot for years to come.
You need to find out how you can recycle your old electronic gadgets instead of throwing them away as soon as they stop working. Here are a few effective tips to get you started.
Check the Manufacturer’s Return Policy
First, you have to make sure that you can return it to the manufacturer as soon as it becomes unusable. Many manufacturing companies do take back their old gadgets and can offer customers additional credit if they do so.
This additional credit can be used to make discounted purchases for new were models of the same gadget or an entirely new one.
Search for Official Drop Off Sites For Recyclable Gadgets
Secondly, what you can do is to find out some of the drop-off sites for these gadgets. This way, you can easily place them in the proper receptacle to prevent any additional environmental damage that might come from these unused gadgets.
Recycle Packaging if Possible
If you still have the old packaging for these gadgets, some companies also offer package recycling services. Having this option means that you don’t have to get rid of the packaging at all. The manufacturing company itself will take care of everything and recycle it for future use.
You can also try recycling the packaging yourself. You will surely find another purpose for your old cell phone boxes. Perhaps you can use it as an additional storage unit in the future?
Know Your Country’s Exclusive Recycling Policies
You can also do a little bit of research and find out if your country has weeded specific recycling programs that you can join. Some countries do offer opportunities to collect garbage and reprocess them into something more useful, such as materials for additional housing projects or furnishings.
Donate Your Gadgets
If in case your gadgets still work but would malfunction at times, maybe you can replace the faulty parts and donate it to others who might need it more than you do. This way, you will not only end up helping the environment but others as well.
Discover the Art of Repurposing
If you can repurpose your gadgets or parts of it, and turn it into something else that would be useful to you that would certainly be an advantage. For example, you can use old monitors as your very own television screen nowadays. This way, you will not have to throw the gadget anytime soon.
Learn More about Your Gadgets Before Disposal
Before throwing your gadgets away, make sure that you find out everything that you can about each of these little machines. By doing this, you will be able to find out if they would still be useful for another purpose or not.
Understand the Purpose
It is also important to understand why we should not throw away our gadgets as soon as they stop functioning. Most of these gadgets have toxic components that would directly harm the environment as soon as it comes in contact with the earth.
Safety is one reason why it is important to minimize waste disposal as much as possible. In addition to this, you also have to think of ways to become as energy efficient as possible.
Look For Energy-Efficient Alternatives
Instead of using traditional light bulbs, why don’t you use LED lights? This way, you will be able to lessen your energy consumption while still being able to enjoy the benefits of full lighting inside your house. The LED lighting is also much more durable and long-lasting compared to traditional light bulbs.
By doing this, you will be able to use them for many years without incurring any damage and therefore protect the environment from the additional toxic waste down the line.
Be Aware of Gadget Recyclability Before Donating
As the owner, make sure that you are aware of the products that could be recyclable down the line. Fortunately, most of the modern gadgets available in the market today are easily swappable.
Through this, you would not have to throw it away as soon as it becomes faulty or unusable. You have to go to your local gadget store or dealer and have it replaced for something new. You can also contact your local recycling organization and tell them that you will be donating your old gadgets for them to handle in the future.
Check Physical Condition of Your Gadget
Before taking them to the recycling center, make sure that you can dispose of them properly. Ensure that your gadgets aren’t damaged or leaking to prevent the toxic chemicals from the gadget to come are and potentially harm the environment.
Contact Manufacturing Company for More Information
Consult the original gadget-manufacturing company for information on how to handle and transport malfunctioning gadgets for recycling properly. This way, you will be able to protect not only yourself but others from potential health hazards down the line.
It is important to remember that everything has its place in the universe. We have to know how to handle our waste to protect the environment from potential danger in the future.
Final Words
If you are aware of how to dispose your gadgets properly, you will not have difficulty finding a new place for them down the line. By doing this, you will be able to spread environmental awareness not only for yourself but for your local community as well.
Why are you hesitating still? Go ahead and recycle those old gadgets as soon as possible. You will not regret your decision to do so.
Salman Zafar is an ecopreneur, consultant, advisor, speaker and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection, conservation and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. Salman is the Founder of EcoMENA, a popular voluntary organization based in Qatar. He is also the Founder and CEO of BioEnergy Consult, a reputed consulting firm active in biomass, waste-to-energy and waste management segments.
Salman is a professional environmental writer with more than 350 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass environmental awareness in different parts of the world.
Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com
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