How does the average person deal with the issue electronic waste (eWaste)? These are items that changed our lives such a short time ago but are now taking up space and collecting dust.

Reduce

It's difficult to avoid. Electronic devices are evolving so quickly that what was "state of the art" only a couple of years back is now hopelessly antiquated. Product lifecycles that used to be measured in years are now measured in months. Since it sometimes seems that manufacturers have consumers on a never-ending upgrade "treadmill" does it even make sense to talk about reducing consumption?

Here are a couple of suggestions. Some people absolutely must have the latest and greatest technology. Nothing wrong with that, in fact manufacturers depend on these early adopters to help drive innovation. For those people (and you know who you are) when upgrading take some time to consider what happens to your old device. Many times these devices are still very desirable and can be reused easily with little effort. The most important thing is to not allow the device to sit, forgotten, on a shelf somewhere while its desirability, and re-usability declines with each passing day.

For those who can live without the latest cutting edge device consider skipping a generation. Many manufacturers have a well-defined upgrade cycle and will continue supporting devices that are one or even two generations old.

Reuse

The inevitable has finally happened. That "must have" bit of electronics from just a few years ago is now an unwanted paperweight taking up valuable space. It's time for it to go. The question is, "go where"?

If the device is still functional but is now obsolete the best thing to do is to donate. There are a number of organizations that will refurbish, restore, and resell used electronics. Extending the lifetime of a device keeps it out of the waste stream, generates less pollution, and requires fewer resources than recycling. In addition, reuse benefits schools, non-profits, and other charitable organizations.

It is important that the donation be a good match to the organization. Some have the ability to do limited electronics reconditioning (such as cleaning, reformatting hard drives, etc.) while others do not. Also, a particular organization may be able to reuse a complete and working computer but not individual components like monitors, CPU's, keyboards, etc. Some organizations will accept donations free of charge while others charge a nominal fee.

In many instances donation carries with it another advantage...tax incentives. Both individuals and businesses may be eligible for tax deductions based on the value of the items donated.

Recycle (eCycle)

Clearly there are times when reuse and/or repair is not possible. In this case the most desirable option is to recycle. Recycling (eCycling) keeps potentially hazardous materials out of landfills and allows the recovery of valuable resources. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recyclers recover more than 100 million pounds of raw materials from electronics each year. Recycling helps reduce pollution and environmental damage caused by extracting raw or virgin materials. In most cases recycling also saves energy when compared to processing new material.

More than 1000 municipalities offer some sort of computer and electronics recycling as a part of hazardous waste collection efforts. Every year there are recycling events across the country which serve as important fundraising events for local charities. There are also numerous locations that accept computers and other electronics for recycling. Before heading to the trash can take a moment to consider if your item could be disposed of in a more environmentally friendly way by reusing or recycling.

To find the location nearest to you click on "Recycle" in the main menu and select the type of item that you wish to recycle.  Enter your address (or better yet register to save this step next time) and click the "Find Recycler" button.  You will be presented with a list of recyclers who accept your item.  You can also limit the search to closer recyclers by selecting a search radius.