Electronic waste often ends up in places where it isn’t appreciated. Sometimes, it ends its life cycle in fiery pits in China and other countries. MIT students have tracked urban trash and found that e-waste ends up in all kinds of unexpected spots.
Today, Electronics Takeback Coalition posted photos of another possible destination for our computer chips: an art exhibit in Berlin, Germany. At the Electronics Goes Green 2012+ conference, artists Muharrem Batman, Ayse Batman and Judith Brun displayed these gorgeous compositions of resistors, plugs, circuit boards, connectors, wires and other electronic fragments.
I paid for part of my college education by building electronics. During my first year working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s physics department, I thought the colors of resistors were attractive. I brought some of the discarded resistors home to add to art projects, but never figured out what I wanted to do with them.
Since it’s Earth Day, that gives me an opportunity to talk about eco-friendly electronics.
Environmentally speaking, bloggers and other electronics enthusiasts aren’t innocent. We use and discard electronics while consuming energy from coal-fired power plants. Our computers and cell phones also contribute to air and water pollution during their mining, manufacturing and disposal.
For a simple overview of how this cycle happens, check out The Story of Electronics:
As the video explains, companies design our electronics for a relatively short life cycle – less than two years. After that, recycling companies dispose of the electronics unsafely overseas. The workers who produce the electronics suffer from miscarriages and cancer.
What’s a responsible electronics enthusiast to do? The good news is that you have many opportunities to break the cycle.
Buy Refurbished or Eco-Friendly Electronics
Eco-friendly cell phones are starting to show up on the market. This is important because some of the materials inside cell phones come from nations that have few protections for mine workers. CNet has reviewed some of the eco-friendly phones.
Although it may be convenient to buy a shiny new computer when your old one has lost its charm, resist the urge to shop. Fix your computer instead.
You may not be able to impress your friends with new gadgets if you fix your electronics instead of throwing them away, but you’ll be preventing pollution-related health problems in China, India and/or Africa. So you can give yourself a gold star for that. Maybe someday your friends will consider your computer hip and vintage, like an old record player.
Plug into Renewable Energy
If your utility company offers a renewable energy option, buy into it. The cost difference is often minimal. If you want to impress your roommates or family, buy your own solar panel. Energy experts say solar panels are in style.
Save Power
Turn off electronics and power strips when you aren’t using them. Turn down the brightness on your cell phone and computer screens. Uninstall apps which keep your phone using extra energy. Adjust your power-saving control panel settings. Beware of entertaining screen savers – the odds are that they aren’t helping you save energy.
Donate Unwanted Electronics
If your old computers and cell phones are gathering dust, donate them instead of recycling them. You should clean your hard drive before donating your computer.
Domestic violence shelters reuse cell phones after removing identifying information. When people in these shelters have cell phones, they can call for help in emergencies. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence accepts phone donations.
Nonprofits often accept donated computers. Check out their wish lists during the holiday season. World Computer Exchange will send your computer to a community organization in a developing nation.
What choices have you made to reduce the environmental impact of using electronics?
Although recent headlines say consumer spending in the United States is rebounding after the recession, I spent part of the holiday season doing the opposite of shopping. I cleaned my entire apartment and collected six boxes of items to donate to nonprofits or give to friends.
Unwanted household items can become less noticeable over time. Like extra e-mail, unnecessary material things lose their value. A few years ago, people were curious if they saw five new e-mails had arrived. Now, that’s barely worth noticing.
There’s some evidence that cleaning one’s environment can change one’s behavior. InThe Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell attributed the drop in subway crime in New York City to a reduction in graffiti. His theory was that people respected the subway once it was clean, so crime decreased. Some readers question that cause-and-effect relationship. Either way, I think it’s likely that selecting possessions one values – and giving away the ones one doesn’t – could improve how one takes care of one’s space.
Most of the material things I discovered this week were interesting and useful. One of them was a new DVD of March of the Penguins; I plan to watch that soon. Other things, like the bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, are potential gifts for friends.
After simplifying my living space, I’m approaching the new year with a resolution to focus on what matters, appreciate what I decide to keep, and know what to pass on to the next person.
Kat Friedrich 