According to Earth 911, Americans tossed 1.5 billion tons of e-waste in 2006, including 44 million computers and televisions. Worldwide, 88 billion tons of e-waste were trashed in 2006.

Each one of these electronic gadgets is chock full of toxic chemicals like mercury and lead that create an environmental mess when they leach into the soil and groundwater. CRT-based computer monitors and televisions (the kinds that have tubes) contain on average 4-8 pounds of lead. Flat panel models contain less lead but more mercury. (Earth 911 site can give details about the nasty stuff that can be found in your TVs, cell phones and computers.) Industry experts estimate even though e-waste currently accounts for only 1 to 4% of municipal waste, it may be responsible for as much as 70% of the heavy metals in landfills, including 40% of all lead.

Landfilling electronics also wastes the otherwise useful materials such as glass, copper, aluminum, plastic and other components that could be extracted and reused. Finally, of the e-waste that is recycled (an admittedly small percentage of the lot) roughly 50-80% is exported to countries such as China and Mexico where it is dismantled without regard to human or environmental safety.

So if you have an old gadget that you want to get rid of, it is extremely important to make sure it is disposed of properly. Here’s how to green your e-waste:

Find It A New Home: Keep your old electronic devices out of the landfill by finding them a new home. Ask around among friends and family, Freecycle, or donate the item.

Send It Back:

Contact the product’s manufacturer to find out if they have a policy for taking back their old gadgets. Some companies, such as Dell, will take back not only their own products but their competitor’s as well.

Recycle It Right: Check out the EPA’s Plug-In to Recycling site for a list of companies that sponsor e-waste take back events and to find an e-cycling event in your community. If you can’t find one nearby, check out the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition’s list of Responsible Recyclers in your area.

]]> http://www.thegreenparent.com/2008/01/15/e-cycling-the-green-parents-guide-to-disposing-of-electronic-gadgets/feed/ 14 http://www.thegreenparent.com/2008/01/02/where-to-donate-your-old-stuff/ http://www.thegreenparent.com/2008/01/02/where-to-donate-your-old-stuff/#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:51:00 +0000 Jenn Savedge http://www.thegreenparent.com/?p=90 Cleaning house? Consider donating things you no longer want or need to someone who does. Donating old stuff is not only great for folks in need, it is also great for the environment, as it reduces waste and the consumption of new resources. Get your kids involved by filling them in on where the old items are going and how they will help. Here’s where you and your kids can donate anything from appliances to eyeglasses.

Appliances: Most thrift stores, including Goodwill and the Salvation Army accept small appliances for donation. Contact them first if you have something large to drop off or consider listing the item on Freecycle to see if someone in your local area might be interested. Also check with your local women’s shelter or group home.

Books: Contact your local library to find out their policy on donations. Most will accept virtually any book or magazine (within reason, of course.) Other options include children’s museums, women’s shelters, hospitals, or your local thrift store.

Cars: Got an old jalopy clogging up your driveway? Contact area high-schools, colleges, or vo-tech programs to find out if they could use your old car. Advertise the heap in Freecycle to see if anyone in your local area is interested in it for parts. Or look into donating it to a charity programs such as The National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Cars or Habitat for Humanity’s Cars for Homes.

Cell Phones: Donate old cell phones directly to your local women’s shelter, or check out The Wireless Foundation’s Call to Protect Campaign or Verizon Wireless’s HopeLine, where money raised through phone sales are donated to domestic-violence shelters.

Clothes: Click here for a recent post on donating (and fixing, selling, or swapping) old clothes.

Computers: Check with your local schools, libraries, or charity organizations to see if they could use your old computer. If not, contact The National Cristina Foundation, Computer Recycling Center, or The World Computer Exchange to make sure your computer gets in the hands of someone who can use it.

Eyeglasses: Don’t toss your old frames, donate them instead. Check out The Lions Club’s eyeglass recycling program or New Eyes For The Needy, an organization that distributes glasses, sunglasses, and hearing to those who need them.

Furniture: Freecycle your old furniture or contact your local thrift store to see if they will accept it and/or pick it up.

Toys: Clean out those overflowing toy bins and pass along those old toys to your local thrift store, hospital, children’s museum, women’s shelter, or library.