5 ways to reduce your e-waste
Ever wondered what to do with your electronic devices once you’re done with them? It feels kinda wrong putting them in the bin, right?
What is e-waste?
Electronic waste, or e-waste can be any household, or office electronics and electrical items that are no longer working or wanted like:
- computers
- fridges
- mobile phones
- modems
- power tools
- treadmills
- TVs
- washing machines
Why is e-waste so bad?
In Australia alone, over 140,000 tonnes of electronic waste is generated annually, or 73kg per household, per year.
E-waste is responsible for 70% of all toxic chemicals found in landfill. Most e-waste only contains a very small amount of dangerous substances but when it’s dumped in large quantities, that’s when trouble begins- causing significant environmental damage or harm to human health.
There are also valuable materials contained in e-waste that are lost when electrical goods are sent to landfill.
So this International E-Waste Day, let’s learn those five ways to help reduce your impact.
How can I reduce my e-waste?
Save your wallet and the planet!
Before you spend your hard-earned dollars on a new electronic device, or item, look within and think: Do I really need this? Will I get my money’s worth? Am I going through just another phase? Aussies replace their smart phones every 18–24 months.
If you really want to try a gadget, maybe you’ve got a mate who’ll happily lend you theirs. Or, rent one out for a day or two. Or, just sleep on it!
Hot Tip: If you need power tools to fix things around the home, google ‘Tool library near me’ for a much cheaper and sustainable way of getting things done.
If you really need to buy electronics (and let’s be honest, sometimes we really need to), consider Macklemore’s philosophy, and thrift shop! Even Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and your local Cash Converters might be holding exactly what you’re looking for.
There are over 25 million unused phones in Australia and I’m sure there are plenty of other electrical goods in garages, spare rooms and junk drawers around the country not being used. Think of the sustainable option and give a used product a new home.
On the flipside, if you’re done with your items, give it away or sell them to others who’ll find a use for them. Not only does this extend their life, it could earn you a bit of extra cash in the process *Ka-ching!*
Sounds simple right? Unfortunately, the life span of devices is getting shorter — many products will be tossed away once their batteries die, to be replaced with shiny new devices.
A bit of TLC can help give your products the long life they deserve. Like being aware of their capabilities- is it waterproof, shockproof, even kidproof? Get yourself a sturdy case, a glass protector, or a stand. Even device maintenance- like remembering to turn your devices off once in a while, or, knowing the life of the device Vs the life of the battery.
If your electronics aren’t performing at their best anymore, you can try repairing them. Look online for DIY tutorials or take the item to a repair shop. Imagine what you could do by learning to fix your electronics at home!
Understanding the hardware of your device can be super handy. Prior to any repairs or replacements, be sure to check with the product’s manufacturer and HSE guidelines before putting on your safety googles and high vis (as it could cancel the warranty).
Electronic waste is growing at three times the rate of any other trash, so we’re constantly needing to create new and better ways to manage the problem.
If all electrical and electronic devices were responsibly recycled, we could be saving millions of tonnes of materials being wasted in landfill. This means that those products could be reused or repurposed and we wouldn’t need to extract more raw material for the manufacturing of new products. So when your electronics are ready to retire you need to make sure you’re recycling them properly.
The consensus: do not dump your e-waste in your general or household recyclable rubbish bins!
Where can I recycle my pre-loved electronics?
Got an old Belong modem? You can recycle it at Officeworks or Planet Ark.
Here’s some more handy places to recycle your electronics:
- Recycle Scheme (by the Australian Government)
- Mobile Muster
- Electronics Product Stewardship Australasia
- E-Cycle Solutions
- Drop Zone
Now you’ve got some information to help you reduce your e-waste, it’s time to go through your old electronics that were waiting for bin day and make a plan to give them a new lease on life!
You can also help the environment by reducing your tech carbon footprint, or using a carbon neutral mobile and internet service provider, like Belong!
Belong is Australia’s first carbon neutral mobile and internet provider. Explore our plans.
Find out your estimated CO2 impact from your mobile data usage by downloading the Carbon Thumbprint app.
