According to an e-waste report by USA Today, electronics that get recycled are typically sent abroad. At such locations, workers are be paid low wages to strip recyclable materials from unrecyclable, hazardous toxins.
According to
USA Today, Best Buy, Dell (
News -
Alert) and Sony are among the few companies that are willing to take back these non-functional products from customers for free. Other brands have still not systematized the method of recycling electronic waste.
Taking a cue from the recent e-waste recycling efforts of major companies like Dell, Zilker Ventures is promoting the recycling of fax machines and e-waste. Referring to one of the two fax machines sitting in his office, Gaines Kilpatrick, the CEO of Zilker Ventures, “That fax machine doesn’t actually work, but we don’t really have space to put it elsewhere”. Most people find themselves in similar situations once their electronics either break down or become obsolete. These are then either stored in offices or homes or simply thrown in the garbage.
More and more people are learning about electronic waste due to one of the most successful movies of this year, Wall-E from Disney-Pixar. In the movie, a young robot is left all alone to clean up the electronic waste that is engulfing the planet.
The question that most people are confronted with is “What should be done with the static e-waste that lies at home or at work”? The answer is simple: People should either send it back to the manufacturer or reseller for possible refurbishment or take it to a certified recycler. People should check that voluntary e-waste recycle programs are certified and do not actually continue to send the waste to developing countries. Businesses that offer virtual services which eliminate the need for hardware have found ways to reduce e-waste.
According to Gaines, “The easiest, most cost-effective thing to do is to stop buying new electronics when possible. Telecommunications is a good place to start. Don’t buy new fax machines or phones, and use Internet fax and virtual private branch exchange services.”
Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
