Laptops, phones, mp3 players and other electronic gadgets have become staple commodities in today’s technological era. Our need for new and improved electronic equipment that becomes obsolete in two or three years has spawned the fastest growing waste stream: e-waste.
The Facts
In 2012 the world purchased 238.5 million televisions, 444.4 million computers and tablets and a staggering 1.75 billion cellphones. Back in 2008, Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist at the Natural Resource Defense Council, estimated that in the USA alone we throw out 48 million computers and 100 million cellphones every year. In fact, according to Sustainable Electronics Recycling International, the average US cellphone has a 22 month lifecycle. All these discarded electronics add up to 5-7million tons of ewaste every year from the USA alone. The volume of this electronic waste is expected to increase by 33% by 2020.
What happens to all this obsolete technology? The more conscientious individuals may try to recycle their useless electronics instead of letting them stew in a landfill. However, this task is easier said than done because used electronics are considered hazardous waste and contain toxic components such as lead, mercury, cadmium, phosphors, arsenic, flame retardants and polyvinyl chloride. These products are known carcinogenic substances that can cause liver and kidney damage, mutations and stillbirths and a plethora of other devastating effects to our bodies when not handled and recycled properly. The inadequate dismantling and disposal of e-waste release these toxic substances into the soil and the air, infecting domestic and wild animals alike while poisoning our crops and drinking water. And the bewildering fact is that less than 20% of used electronics are recycled.
Another troubling fact is that the lethal byproducts of our electronic consumption, when one actually tries to properly recycle them, are oftentimes just dumped elsewhere. A disturbing reportage done by Scott Pelley for 60 minutes on CBS News back in 2009 provides video footage of the electronic wasteland created in Guiyu China by our failed recycling attempts. We are faced with an unfortunate reality; 80% of our “recycled electronics” actually end up exported to some roadside ditch somewhere far away.
The Solution
So how does one avoid contributing to the creation of an electronic Chernobyl? One solution is to use an ecoATM to recycle our mobile devices. EcoATM is an automated kiosk that buys back most used consumer electronics directly from consumers. The first step is finding the ecoATM closest to you; the ecoATM network is growing, with kiosks opening up all over the country. Then, clean out all your personal data on your phone. You will need your driver’s license and your fingerprints will be scanned during the process; this is done to avoid phone thefts and help return stolen property. The machine offers you a price and the chance to make a donation and then presto, cash for your old device! It should be noted, after reading several online reviews that pretty old phone models are not worth much. Therefore if you just want to make sure you are recycling responsibly, and don’t want to go through what can be a 15 minute process for a mere dollar or two, you can leave your old devices in the donations bin located on the ecoATM. The phones, mp3 players or tablets are refurbished if they can be fixed, and reused, or they are responsibly recycled.
The key factor in the recycling process is that ecoATM is itself R2 and ISO 14001 certified and only partners with e-waste recyclers who meet R2 or e-Stewards qualifications. The R2 standard is a premier global, environmental, worker health and safety standard for the electronics refurbishing and recycling industry. ISO 14001 certifies that a company or organization has received energy audit training and can identify and control their environmental impact. E-Stewards are a project of the Basel Action Network aka BAN, which was named after the 1997 Basel Convention in which the United Nations ratified a treaty restricting the trade of hazardous wastes, effectively stopping the dumping of lethal waste on developing countries. Interestingly enough, the USA is the only developed country that has not ratified the Basel Convention, making certifications of responsible recycling such as e-steward all the more respected. Thus e-Stewards Certification is used to identify recyclers that adhere to the highest standard of environmental responsibility and worker protection in the electronic recycling, refurbishing and processing industry.
The ecoATM is a great concept, especially for those who would like to receive a couple dollars in exchange for their old electronics. But an ecoATM cannot process old televisions, computer monitors, printers, really old telephones etc. Therefore, using the e-Stewards website to find certified electronic recyclers in your region is the other environmentally sound option.
Innovating ideas, such as the ecoATM provide us with brilliant environmental and business solutions. But they require a clientele who is not turning a blind eye to the dangers of e-waste. It is our responsibility as electronic consumers to ensure our discarded gadgets do not end up poisoning somebody else’s backyard.
