Because you know how much of a tech geek I am, like many of you who read my daily blog, today is the 35th anniversary of Earth Day and certainly a timely wakeup call for us to figure out what to do with those old tech toys -- PCs, mobile phones, PDAs.
If you really aren't sure how you accumulated two or three mobiles in that "junk drawer" in the kitchen or are considering trading in that analog TV for a flat LCD monitor so you can watch movies, TV and work on your home computer, you're not at all alone. As you replace those old tech tools with new ones, however, this interesting CNET piece urges people take responsibility for recycling them too.
Why the reminder? The numbers tell the story:
- Only 13 percent of the computers that became obsolete in 1998 were eventually recycled or reused.
- The EPA estimates more than 2 millions tons of "e-waste" was generated in 2000 but only 9 percent of it was used again or recycled.
This is especially true considering e-waste will increase by a factor of four over the next two years and most of these devices contain some toxic pollutants -- think mercury, lead and cadmium -- that can injure your health and that of your family.
If you aren't sure how or where to safely dispose of these recent relics, I urge you to review the CNET piece (linked below) for extensive lists of Web sites, including computer manufacturers, that can point you in the right direction.
CNET News April 22, 2005