Let’s face it, there are a lot of things to worry about in our world today.
Almost too many things.
Even with an abundance of advice and easy access to information, it’s difficult to know what steps you—as an individual—can take to solve the big problems affecting our environment, our communities, and our lives.
But we’re here to help.
Combating Electronic Waste (E-Waste)
As we become more and more reliant on technology, our world becomes more filled with electronic waste. While e-waste only fills about 2% of our landfills, it is responsible for 70% of toxic waste.
Why? Because all electronic devices, from the smallest cell phone to the largest refrigerator (and beyond) contain toxic and hazardous substances, which leak into the air, water, and soil if not disposed of properly.
However, electronics also contain valuable resources like metals, plastic, and glass which require lots of energy to mine or manufacture. By recycling rather than dumping electronics, we can cut back on the energy used to access those resources.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency:
“Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.”
The EPA goes on to explain that recycling 1 million laptops is equivalent to the electricity used by 3500 homes in the US each year. A million cell phones provide about 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium.
Pulling these materials out of old phones means we don’t have to pull them out of the earth.
Treat Your Electronics Responsibly For Sustainability
Based on this information, there is one simple thing you can do to help create a more sustainable environment—make good decisions about your electronics. It starts with a few simple mindset shifts:
Re-evaluate: While it’s tempting to always get the newest gadget, do you really need it? Could you get one device that serves multiple functions? Can you work with the devices you already have?
Repair: Rather than buying something new, is it possible to repair a broken electronic device? While there are companies that try to keep you from repairing old devices, there are also groups fighting for the right to repair rather than dump, because that is crucial to the needs of our environment.
At the same time, if you work to extend the life of your electronics, perhaps repairs may not be needed as often. Small steps you can take to do this include: buying a case, keeping your devices clean, and avoiding overcharging the battery.
Purchase Responsibly: If you are in the market for new electronics, look for ones that are environmentally friendly and contain recycled materials. These products will be labeled Energy Star or certified by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).
Reuse: If you absolutely need the newest technology, consider donating still functional electronics to worthy social programs.
Recycle: Ultimately, this should be the final step for unneeded electronics. Of course, you want to be sure that your electronics are actually being recycled, that’s where Ncentiva comes in!
Get Rewarded For Your Sustainable Electronics Trade-In with Ncentiva!
At Ncentiva.com we want to help the world. We also want to help you help the world. We want to make it easy and beneficial for you to help the environment. When you recycle your electronics with us, you get the reward of top brand gift cards worth up to 20% more than the standard trade-in value of your device.
It’s a win-win situation. All you have to do is reach out to Ncentiva today to get a price quote for your old electronics.
If you accept the quote, we will help you ship your electronics at no cost to you for a final assessment.
We take care of the rest, making sure that your electronics get recycled properly, rather than dumped. Help the planet, start your trade-in today!