Waste prevention is the ideal situation and it is the most preferable solution to manage waste, recycling included. Used and functional electronic items can be donated to extend the functionality of products and keeps them out of the waste management system for an elongated period of time. Donating used electronics allows educational institutes and not for profit organizations to take advantage of an additional source of infrastructure and there are plenty of electronics recycling opportunities in Portland: You can recycle your e-waste for free through Oregon E-Cycles, or donate to Free Geek, which will put your used equipment to work as a community educational tool.
A working computer with a current operating system will be particularly useful, but you may prefer to erase your hard drive before recycling your computer. You can get information on how to clean your hard drive and disk-wiping software at Tech Soup.
Tax Benefits
Firms may take advantage of the 21st Century Classrooms Act which encourage large companies to donate equipment to public and private schools. The donating firm should enquire about the documentation required to apply the donated equipment to their income tax returns. Some areas may feature charities while others may be school districts or low income support organizations.
Recycling
If donation is not an option due to the condition of the system, recycling is the route that should be taken. Over a hundred million pounds of materials are recovered by recycling electronics each year. Recycling electronic systems help reduce the total pollution that would be generated in disposing the old one and making a completely new system. The energy that is consumed in making such new systems is also conserved. Over a thousand municipalities offer computer recycling opportunities and hold electronic collections. Public and private organization have also accepted who make profit from the extraction of materials through recycling and they are also viable options. The local TV repair shop also may recycle and that would be a good place to start with the process. Manufacturers too are taking old electronics back and recycling them. These services are often provided free of charge or with benefits on new purchases such as buy back rates, etc. Major firms all have asset management recovery programs which purchase used electronic equipment from time to time.
Purchasing Energy Efficient Products
Environmentally aware shopping is the first major step to make towards a greener electronic experience and buyers should look at the footprint that such an item leaves on the environment and even small decrements should be taken into account. Products should contain:
- Less Toxins
- Utilize recycle materials
- Be energy efficient and rated through government energy ratings
- Easily upgradable
- Minimal packaging
- Have lease and take back options
- Meet environmentally acceptable performance ratings
In the growing face of global warming, we often forget the electronics are a major source of pollution and it is our duty to ensure that we do not further the damage that has already been made to Mother Nature. Be Smart, Think Green.
About the Author: Julie, a hardware specialist, specializes in supply chain management and the flow of products through pipelines. More recently, she has taken an interest in electronics recycling in St. Louis and offers her unique skill set in providing universally acceptable solutions to the problem of e-Waste disposal.
