Starting with "why"
Why should we care about electronics waste (aka ewaste)? Well, for a culture that is entirely reliant on electronics for the creation and delivery of our music, it is irresponsible not to consider our electronics demand and impact.
What do you do with your electronics recycling?
Although Ewaste policies are typically part of a larger environmental or eco-policy, we will concentrate on ewaste in this post. The information presented can be applied for both home or the office. Policies are not necessary "just for work". As we continue to stress Earth's resources through extractive industries and possibly run up against certain sustainable limits, it is important for us all to consider what we use, where it comes from, how it is created, and what we do with it when it comes to the end of its life as a product. (Products have life expectancies too.)
History of Ewaste
For more educational Ewaste statistics that might inspire you to start ewaste recycling or a program for your home, office, or event, check out this post from Earth911.
What do we do with it?
In an ideal world, an attempt at fixing electronics should always come first. There is a great company called iFixit who offer manuals, tips, toolkits, and also advocates for the right of consumers to fix their electronics.
If it is beyond repair, perhaps first consider donating it to a local art school or program. Trashion (trash-fashion) shows and found or recycled art is becoming ever increasingly more popular.
The last consideration should always be recycling (before landfill). To find recycling resources in your area, Earth911 has a great guide.
There are nuances to recycling ewaste, especially if you have the desire to have an Ewaste drive for your community, office, or building. EMA has experience hosting ewaste drives, so feel free to contact us with questions when choosing an ewaste vendor for pickup or for an ewaste event.
What are you doing with yours?
We would like to know! This can be: what you are now doing, what you have previously done, as well as what you expect to do (now that you have more information.) Email us and feel free to ask us if you need assistance finding the most responsible recycler in your area.
