When it comes to technology, we all know what\’s new today becomes old news tomorrow. For the tech enthusiasts, the latest technology is a must-have. But what happens to yesterday\’s technology? Are they left lying around the house waiting to decompose? Here are a few ways of how you can recycle your unwanted electronic gadgets to help the environment:
- Sell it!
One man\’s junk is another man\’s treasure. There may be other not-so-up-to-date people who are looking for your old technology. You can hold your very own garage sale, or you can post your items online. Either way, there are bound to people willing to buy what you call crap (provided they still work).
- Salvage it!
If your gadget does not function like it used to, you can break it down into smaller pieces, and salvage some of them to be used as spare parts. That way, you can save on repair bills and you can try out your modification skills.
- Send it back!
Some manufacturers offer trade-in programs that offer a discounts on new purchases when you bring your unwanted gadgets back in. The more environmentally conscious manufacturing companies also offer other facilities such as conveniently placed bins and collection centres where you can drop off your old batteries, chargers, and ink cartridges for them to recycle.
Recycling your unwanted gadgets is important because disposing them usually requires a lot of energy and resources. Not only that, they also produce a lot of chemicals and wastes that are not bio-degradable, and sometimes even harmful to both humans and the environment.
