This season, give the gift of e-cycling | As It Turns Out

The season of consumer frenzy finds many of us dreaming of buying or receiving new electronic gadgets. We are fascinated by new gadgets that are shinier, thinner, lighter and just plain more fun than older models.

The season of consumer frenzy finds many of us dreaming of buying or receiving new electronic gadgets. We are fascinated by new gadgets that are shinier, thinner, lighter and just plain more fun than older models.

The electronic device market has been doing an excellent job of advertising their wares. We’re hanging on their every promise of innovation.

It certainly doesn’t help the turnover rate when the products don’t last as long as they should or when they are more expensive to repair than to replace.

Many of us don’t think about what happens to our old cell phones or old computers after their untimely deaths, or after they are no longer needed or wanted. Hopefully, we’ll think to recycle it. Here’s why.

With the exponentially growing number of electronics being sold on today’s market, there is also an exponentially growing mass of deadly leaching electronic waste. This “e-waste” is bringing down terrifying evil on the earth — and anything in need of the earth to exist.

What exactly is included in the term “electronic waste”? The simplest explanation I’ve seen: anything discarded with a battery or electrical cord. All these should be recycled.

The most hazardous of this lot are electronic products, like cell phones, computers, printers, etc. More than a thousand materials are used to manufacture electronic gadgets. Components come from all over the world, most likely from whoever can supply the cheapest — meaning. developing countries.

Below are just four of these deadly toxins and some of their human health risks.

1. lead: brain, nervous system, reproductive system damage.

2. mercury: brain and kidney damage.

3. cadmium: lung and kidney damage.

4. brominated flame retardants: endocrine system damage (and found in breast milk in the U.S.).

Because of these and far more toxins like them, recycling and disposal of e-waste is of extraordinary importance for our future. Improperly disposed of, these toxins limit our life span — your life span, my life span, our children’s life span.

There’s no time for kicking the can down the road. And no, you don’t have to be a scientist — or even an adult — to understand this.

So, because we must have advanced electronics, we have no choice but to be persistent in protecting the earth and its inhabitants by recycling. It’s our only hope. Perhaps future technological solutions and/or aggressive legislation will help solve this challenge when, and if, it arrives.

First step to recycling your electronics is to remember to erase your data. Second is to find out who recycles and where. It’s easy.

See www.ecy.wa.gov for free electronic recycling information. E-Cycle Washington at 1800recycle.wa.gov (or 1-800-RECYCLE) tells you what they can recycle and where.

For instance, the following takes computers, monitors, keypads, e-readers, etc. for recycling:

  • North Kitsap Metal Recycling in Kingston (360-710-9069);
  • Bainbridge Island Recycling on Bainbridge Island (206-842-0962);
  • Olympic View Transfer Station in Bremerton (360-674-2297); and at
  • Bremerton St. Vincent DePaul, Staples, Best Buy, Office Depot, and Goodwill stores.
  • Cell phones may be dropped off at North Kitsap Metal Recycling, Best Buy, Staples and Office Depot.
  • Toners and ink cartridges may be dropped off at Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples.
  • Donate used computers to Bremerton St. Vincent DePaul, corner of 13th and Wycoff (360-377-2929) or Goodwill stores.
  • Other less technical gadgets may be dropped off at the above North Kitsap, Olympic View and Bremerton e-cycle centers.

More information is available on the E-cycle Washington website: “The majority of the electronics are disassembled for recycling here in Washington. Some electronics go out-of-state for processing and some materials are exported for recycling at approved facilities. However, obsolete electronics are not exported to Third World countries.”

So, enjoy your new electronic purchases or gifts this season, but please remember to recycle. It’s our only hope.

— Marylin Olds is an opinion columnist. Comments or questions are welcome at marylin.olds@gmail.com.

 

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