e-Tread Lightly

Keep the earth green and save some lives in the process, by recycling and disposing of your electronic devices the responsible way

- By Mario Armstrong

When it comes to getting rid of our old electronics, it’s pretty much a Wild West freefor-all, with few laws, lots of bad guys, and everyone out for themselves. Despite a recent rise in eco-consciousness seen in bans on plastic bags and regulations phasing out incandescent light bulbs in favour of more energy-efficient bulbs, we haven’t really even begun to address the problem. Let’s start fixing that right now.

WHAT IS E-WASTE? JUST ABOUT E-VERYTHING.

E-waste” is the catch all for discarded electronic products, but the term is most often used in reference to gadgets like cell phones (It's a fact that Americans replace their cell phones about every 18 months), printers, tablets, televisions, and computers. According to iFixit (more on these guys later), an estimated 20 million tons of e-waste are generated each year, with America alone contributing 3.4 million tons annually. Consider this: A full 75% of all their e-waste gets thrown away. That's an enormous, growing mountain of garbage. In total, “it's spread between dumping, recycling, and exporting”, says Larry Herst, CEO of Triangle Ecycling in the U.S.A. “But there's very little current info” about where it all ends up. And that alone is terrifying.

High-tech garbage isn't just a space suckier, it's also highly noxious: Dumped devices release known carcinogens and other toxins like lead, mercury, barium, and other heavy metals into the ground, water, and air. It's a dirty and dangerous problem that's growing but unfortunately, regulation isn't keeping up.