Electronic Waste? Resist the Urge to Buy New Gadgets!

 

Not so long ago, I was called by my friends "Mr Gadget". And still today, I am looking at the latest laptops and mobile phones - I really would love to buy them. They seem to be so much better than what I am using today! Really?

Here some interesting figures from the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum:

• In 2022 we might have produced 24.5 million tons of electronic waste
• Out of that, we have 5.3 billion discarded smartphones; that's almost the number of people who own a smartphone
• By 2026, the 750 million defunct earbuds will stretch three times around the moon

So, the big question is: is your current electronic device still useful? Can you repair it? When you must replace it, can you buy a second hand device (many people try it once and then sell it)? These are important questions to ask. Not only for gadgets.

Here is what you can do:

• keep using what works fine
• regularly declutter
• repair and prolong the lifetime
• donate to a friend or charity
• sell as second hand
• bring to an official e-waste recycling point
• buy second hand
• share your story with friends

So, I am still happily using my three year old laptop and four year old smartphone - they are actually great devices!

Source: ​5.3 billion discarded smartphones this year are 120x higher than international space stationwww.designboom.com/technology/5-3-billion-discarded-smartphones-this-year-10-14-2022/

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