Does this look familiar at all?

Do you have any old TVs, computers or cell phones in your basement?  Garage?  Closet?

You know you can’t just “throw it out” like any other trash, and yet what do you do with it?

E-waste is becoming a huge problem.  Consumers are buying more and more consumer electronics, always upgrading to a newer, better, faster something.  Did you stop to think what’s inside those things?

FACT:  In some of the old CRT TVs, the EPA has estimated there is between 4-8 POUNDS of lead.  (No wonder they are so heavy!)

These electronics are filled with toxic materials, and don’t think that the newer “green” products are any better!  Most of the time these “green” electronics just consume less electricity.  Good on grid, yes…bad at the end of the product life cycle.

Think you are RECYCLING it?  Maybe…but the problem is that millions of tons of e-waste is  exported and dumped in developing countries every year under the guise of recycling.  Leave it to the U.S. to let someone else deal with our trash!  (sorry, I’ll stop the rant)

So, what’s a conscious minded consumer to do?

1. Try to use the old electronics.  Can you put that old TV in the basement with a DVD player?  Or play video games on it?
2. Find a responsible recycler, who does NOT export.  Go to www.takebackmytv.com and look for one in your area.
3. Buy electronics from responsible manufacturers – those who actually take back their old products and dispose of them without exporting.  (LG, Sony…we’ll talk about this in PART 2).

Millions of TVs are being purchased this year in anticipation of the TV digital conversion.  E-waste is going to continue to grow as an environmental and public health hazard until we decide to get responsible and also hold manufacturers accountable.  Maybe if they had to deal with the problem at the end of the life cycle, they’d create products that weren’t so toxic?!

Many little things can be turned off to make a big difference.

Turn off your computer when you leave for the day. It’s just that simple.

How many times have you left the computer on because it makes “start up time” much faster in the morning? It’s not worth it. The average desktop can use between 65-200 watts of electricity per hour, and this does NOT include the monitor. And did you know that using a “screen saver” does NOT save any energy? None… enable the sleep mode.

Want to take it a step further? Enable “sleep mode” on your computer so it “sleeps” when you aren’t using it! Enabling sleep mode can save up to 70% of energy consumption!

Did you know that according to the EPA in 2006, homes, business and institutions produced 251 million tons of solid waste?  This translates to approximately 4.6 pounds waste per person,  per day. Work is the place where people recycle the least. It is easy to let your efforts slip at work, because commonly the structures aren’t set up, and there are more people involved. So how can you at least do your part?

scrap paper: Can’t print on both sides? Save the paper and use it for notes. If you are more of a creative type – cut them down, and replace your post-its!

printing: Do you think before you print? Try to cut down on what you print. And have a conversation with your office manager and make sure your copier paper has recycled content!

coffee cups: Do you buy your coffee from Starbucks or another local? Bring a reuseable cup! Just imagine, if you would save over 200 paper cups!

computer: Make sure you turn it off at night!

lights: In many big offices, people leave the lights on, assuming that they’ll just be turned off by the cleaning crew. Well, they are capable people…they can turn them back on! You turn off your lights at home when you leave the room, why not at work?