The reason for consistent e-waste is simple, but no one person or company is to blame for the issue. E-waste is due to advances in technology and the release of new devices. But we cannot blame the companies for making their devices bigger and better. If you think about it, how many cell phones have you had, broken, lost, or just got tired of? The demand for a new phone, computers, tablet, smartwatch and more are always going to be a thing. As the consumer’s wants and needs are satisfied, new needs and wants will become present.
Each year, a new phone model comes out with new cameras, a better battery life, and more storage. This is exciting on the front end of things but on the flip side, this means that last year’s phone will be less desirable and will lead to the phone being put into a box and forgotten about, thrown away, or traded and recycled. This same pattern happens with almost every electronic device imaginable. This includes computers, laptops, tablets, televisions, smart home devices, and much more.
The best thing you can do when you upgrade to the latest and greatest is to recycle the device before it sits aside for years. You can take the device to an electronic recycling facility, list it on marketplaces such as Craigslist, eBay, Facebook marketplace, and any others you can think of. This helps to reduce waste in a big way as it keeps the device out of a landfill, out of a box in the attic, and out of the conversation regarding our environment.
But what about the broken devices or the ones that no longer work? Electronic recycling companies can safely dispose of those devices for you. Chances are, they won’t sell on the marketplace unless they are in a decent condition. But with a recycling company, they can either fix them up or break them down for parts. Either one of the options helps to greatly reduce the amount of waste going into the landfills. If the devices are fixed, they can be repurposed and given a new life. IF they cannot be fixed, they are taken apart and used for parts to fix other devices that can be fixed. Parts and components that cannot be used, are properly disposed of in ways that reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible. For example, those lithium-ion batteries that are in all of the current devices can be recycled. It is a bit more of a process to recycle them but it sure beats piling them up in a landfill.
For those located in Northeast Ohio, Summit E-Waste is located right in the heart of Akron and accepts all electronic devices! From televisions to printers to cell phones, we take it all and do our part in reducing the amount of waste added to landfills. Call or email us today to schedule a drop-off! Check out our Facebook page to find out when we will be hosting a community drop-off event in your area!
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