You have any An old phone is skeptical of a desk drawer or a broken laptop that accumulates dust behind a wardrobe, will never be a better time to throw it away. There is a good chance that your unwanted gadget can go back to a benefit -useful service, and you can also make a little cash or help other people. Recycling should be the last way, but if there is nothing else for your gadget, there are ways to recycle electronics responsible.
Global E-Waste led 50 million metric tons in 2019, according to United Nations Global E-Waste Monitorand only 17.4 percent of that waste were collected and recycled. Too many old electronics ends with landfills and Hellish e-waste graveyards where they are Poison Communities. The problem is just growing. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum It is estimated that 5.3 billion phones dropped in use in 2022 only. Governments, companies, and people are waking up to the fact that we should do better. The big question is, how? Here are some resources, services, and ideas that will help.
Updated February 2025: We have added electronics to recycle and details to a new battery recycling program.
Use devices longer
Before you dispose of the devices, consider using them a little. Do you need to upgrade? Perhaps you can Repurpose your old device to squeeze more life from it. You can Do that old phone with a webcamFor example. If you are dead set shopping for a new device, do your research to find Ethical and eco-friendly electronics. Look for manufacturers and retailers with trading and recycling programs.
Consider Purchase of products used on eBay or other markets, or look for fixed gadgets. Manufacturers like Apple and Samsung offer fixed devices in a discount, and you can find a lot Refurbished goods to Amazon. Elizabeth Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability to IfixitRecommended Back Market for the fixed phones.
Pass the devices to
Passing devices to family members, friends, and neighbors that can use them is the best way to squeeze the maximum value to them. “Don't let the devices hibernate in a junk drawer or wardrobe and garbage,” said Jeff Seibert, working on Seri (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International). “Insert them into the hands of other people who can use them as quickly as possible because older devices are getting, they can have less positive effects.”
If you don't know anyone who can use your old electronics, try the Freecycle Network or local Buy no groups on Facebook to find people interested in freebies.
Arranging and organizing
If you plan to squeeze a little more on a device, want to pass it on to someone, or plan to sell it, fix or fix it first is a smart move. If you want to try and fix a device, Ifixit is a great place to start. It boasts over 90,000 step-by-step repair guides covering phones, tablets, laptops, computers, game consoles, and cameras.
YouTube is another great place to find videos in arrangement, and the chamberlain recommends to check the arrangements of techs like Louis Rossmann, Jessa Jones, Ben's tools and garbageand Rich rebuildsBut there is no shortage of videos in adjusting for the specific gadget you are looking for.
