You are in: Home > , , > Are We Burying Ourselves In A Mountain Of E-Waste?

Are We Burying Ourselves In A Mountain Of E-Waste?

5 by Beth Buczynski on May 26, 2011

Electronics make life easier and connect us to information and people that we might have never known otherwise. But what happens when they wear out and it's time to upgrade?

Without the technological advances of the last few years, we wouldn't have in-car GPS to help when we're lost or laptops and tablets that let you read greenUGPRADER no matter where you are.

But as with so many things we depend on in life, it's important to think about the entire life cycle of our electronics, and not just the few years they spend in our possession. Electronics recycling is important and increasing, but we still have a long way to go.

Electronics contain hazardous materials that can damage water, soil, and air quality if not disposed of properly.

In the infographic below, WellHome puts our electronics addiction in perspective, and suggests ways we can dispose of it properly to minimize environmental damage.

E-Waste Infographic

Graphic Created By WellHome Energy Audits

Top Image Credit: Flickr -

Category: , , | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

About the Author:

Beth is a freelance copy writer and environmental blogger living in Colorado. She has an M.S. in Public Communication and Technology from Colorado State University, and is passionate about inspiring people to live and laugh more sustainably. Follow her on Twitter as @ecosphericblog

Twitter Follow Beth Buczynski on Twitter: @ecosphericblog
  • http://www.cheapsolarpanelsforsale.com/ SolarPanelsForSale

    This is something that I think about a lot. I have a whole box of stuff that I don’t really need, but that is basically outdated at this point, but throwing it away seems like a waste. At least some of the stuff is recyclable here in Japan, but most of it will just get dumped.

  • http://www.greenmarketing.tv Lorna

    OMG, it’s terrible. My biggest eco-shame are all the electronic devices I own to run my Internet based business, including 4 laptops, 3 webcams, 2 camcorders & God knows how many cameras. The problem with gadgets are the rapid upgrades to keep up with the speed of information and higher and higher resolution. Oh, what to do?

  • http://www.natural-organic-products.com Emma

    Electronics recycling is not a common practice for many people unfortunately. I think people either think about donating or throwing away their old stuff. I hope the government plays a better and bigger role in promoting electronic recycling.

  • http://JacksBackBooks.blogspot.com Becky

    I just discovered greenUPGRADER while searching for some green projects to do with my son over the summer. Love those sandwich wraps made from ironed plastic bags!

    There was a segment on public radio’s To The Best Of Our Knowledge several months ago that told about the horrific things that happen with e-waste. If you didn’t hear it, please do! It should be in their archives. I believe that’s where I heard about TerraCycle, a company that upcycles and recycles around 45 different household waste items. I signed up for several of their recycling brigades, including a cellphone brigade and laptop brigade. For every item I ship to them (free shipping!), money gets donated to my “charity” of choice, one of them being my son’s school. This summer I will work on literature to promote our collection then will supply a tote this fall for items we are collecting (drink pouches, cheese packaging, e-waste mentioned).

    Thanks for the wonderful website!

  • http://www.green-and-energy.com/ Corina | Green Consulting

    Yeeeees is the right answer! We have to be able to realize when to stop. Unffortunatly people don’t really know how much is too much! Just look around and you’ll see that the things that you thought you couldn’t live without a few years ago are already in the garbadge! But do we think where all this things end up? Not really…:(