Causecast

by SARAH NELSON, Contributing Writer

The idea that “newer is better” may not be so great. There’s a pretty nasty downside to acquiring the newest and fastest technology. It starts with one nasty, toxic, earth-killing word: e-waste. And we have a lot of it. Obviously, when you replaced your standard boob-tube with the slick light-weight HD flat screen, your old box had to go somewhere to die, R.I.P., but did you spend much time thinking about where it spent those final days? Most people don’t. Unless e-waste is properly recycled or donated to someone, like Grandma who is still oblivious to the idea of television in living color, chances are your old electronics will end up in a heaping pile of toxic melted plastic and broken glass somewhere in Africa, India or China.

Here’s the problem: with a population puts the United States near the one-third earmark for the world’s largest nations, the United States is by far one of the largest producers of e-waste. To make matters worse, our country lacks a comprehensive plan of action on e-waste disposal. According to the EPA, 4.6 million tons of e-waste are dumped into US landfills each year. The federal government leaves it up to the states and only 19 states currently have regulatory systems in place, with 14 others are working on a plan.

California, along with only a handful of states, is leading the way by mandating "take-back"laws. The laws require manufacturers to receive electronics discarded by consumers. Furthermore, California is the only state that requires collection and recycling of rechargeable batteries. Some states recycle computers but not televisions, while others will take laptops but not desktop computers. Ultimately, this means that the US only disposes about twenty-percent of the e-waste safely.

Across the pond, the European Union has mandated an e-waste program that limits the amount of electronic waste disposed and requires "take-back" programs with manufacturers. EU legislation also requires alternatives to heavy metals and other toxic materials found in electronic equipment.

So what do we do? Well, we could ease our collective conscious by recycling our e-waste, but even that presents an additional list of problems. Recycled e-waste is often shipped off to enormous dumps in five main locations around the world. Two are in Africa and three in Asia. This exportation results in toxic amounts of waste sifted for usable materials by unprotected workers who ultimately face unknown health risks from exposure to hazardous materials. The practice of exporting e-waste is perfectly legal in some countries, but not so much in others; it’s just not very ethical or earth-friendly for that matter.

Since nearly every option for disposing old electronics eventually lands them in a landfill somewhere in the world, I came up with my own list of eco-conscious ways to move on to the newest technology (with some help from Greenpeace) without the guilt of contributing to the destruction of our planet:

•Quit buying the PC model and just go for the Mac. You might have to spend a few hundred dollars more initially, but you’ll look cooler, you’ll feel cooler and with the never obsolete Apple brand you’re technology will last 4 times as long as the PC alternative.

•Cut back on your technology addiction. Newer isn’t always better, especially when the newest leaves the latter in a heaping pile of toxic waste. Think of it like marriage- til death do us part. Pick a television or a computer that you can commit to until the screen goes black for good.

•When you’re ready to buy a new TV, do not, under any circumstances, throw your old one away. Sell it, donate it, return it to the manufacturer or use it as a vintage garden box in your yard. Just don’t leave it on the curb!

•Check with your city for local electronics recycling centers and other options for proper disposal. In Minneapolis you can contact ReThink Recycle for the best ways to reduce your e-waste. In Los Angeles you can drop off your consumer electronics at the Household Hazardous/Electronic Waste Collection Event. There’s one just about every weekend somewhere in the LA area. Just don’t haul your old refrigerator. They won’t take it.

•Know what you’re getting into. Buy products from companies that are making a conscious effort to clean up their act.

•Go a little greener. Cutting your electronic use will greatly reduce your carbon footprint. Find an alternative- like riding your sweet eco-friendly bamboo bike instead of watching hours of TiVo.

For more information on what you can do to cut back on e-waste or for other solutions, like purchasing products with a longer life span, check out Greenpeace’s guide to purchasing greener electronics.

Photo by sneak046, flickr.