How To Trash Tech Toys

By: Larry Magid
Topics: Tech Talk

I love technology as much as anyone and a tech reviewer, I get to play with more than my share of new gadgets but, as cool as these tech toys are, there is a downside. At some point, they must be discarded and when they finally do end their useful life, many of these items wind up in landfills either here or in the developing world.

That can be bad news, especially considering the amount of toxins contained in many devices. E-waste poses risks not only to people who pick through some of the rubbish but for those who have the misfortune of living nearby or downstream near the rivers that carry that pollution. The Erren River in Southern Taiwan is one of many examples. According to an article on etoxics.org, "fish die within two minutes of being introduced into its waters… life expectancy in the surrounding communities is 50 years, and the cancer rate is 27%."

The good news is that rather than contributing to the problem we can all be part of the solution. If you got some cool new technology for the holidays and are about to dispose of your own gadgets. In Trashing Tech Toys I point to responsible ways to recycle as well as alternatives to the recycling bin such as donating the equipment to a worthy charity, selling it or passing it on to others.

Taking a few extra minutes to minimize the harm and possibly maximizes the benefit from our e-waste makes sense for each us and for our earth.