Getting Rid of That Holiday (E-waste) Weight
CEH is here to help you get rid of some of that holiday weight. No, not the pounds you put on from indulging in eggnog and cookies—we’re talking about those extra electronics pounds you may have gained.
After all that gift giving and receiving, many of us have acquired pounds of new electronics—maybe from a new laptop, smart phone, flatscreen TV or DVD player. Those gifts are great, but they often leave in their wake unwanted pounds of electronics that sadly become post-holiday e-waste.
Now is the time to rid your house of this old electronic waste. We’ve written about e-waste before, and how recycling electronics the right way and right away is so important. It’s the only way to ensure that: 1) your toxic gadgets are not exported to developing countries, dumped in digital graveyards, incinerated, and dismantled by untrained workers, exposing them to our electronics’ toxic insides and 2) to increase the chance that your electronics will be able to be reused.
Start the New Year off right by immediately dealing with old electronics the right way. Become a responsible e-waste recycling hero: find an e-Steward (a third-party, independently audited certification program representing the highest standards in the industry) in your area at www.e-Stewards.org!
Can’t find an e-Steward in your area? Urge your local recyclers to become certified e-Stewards. Tell them you and your friends and family look forward to giving them your growing pile of e-waste as soon as they become certified. A recycler may tell you that they are certified under” R2 (Responsible Recycling)” and while on the surface R2 “sounds good”, that standard has many loopholes and does not ensure that your e-waste will be handled properly.
Rid yourself of this extra baggage this month, support recyclers who are doing the right thing, and the New Year will be looking brighter already!