Did You Know That Only 18% Of Electronic Devices Are Currently Recycled?

... And that 70% of all toxic waste in landfills comes from electronic waste? It's a fact that over 200 million items of e-waste are thrown away every year in the U.S. alone, making e-waste our single largest waste export.

That's why Richard Romano's article A New Shopping Season, a New Flood of E-Waste on the "What They Think Blog" hits home with me. I have two teenage boys and electronics are big items on their Christmas wish lists. It makes me cringe to think about the "old" e-items the new ones will be replacing and where they go after leaving our curb on trash day. Maybe that is why I, personally, have two old I-pod Shuffles, a  Mini, a first generation Nano and a borrowed Nano currently in use.

I'm sure you are thinking, how can that be?

For the last couple of years I have been adding a bigger, better I-pod to my Christmas and/or birthday wish lists, and then at the last minute, taking it off. It seems that I have second thoughts about owning yet another electronic item (which will eventually end up in the waste stream). So instead, I keep repurposing the old stuff.

Currently one I-pod holds my Christmas music, one has yoga music, one I filled with my 3-year-old niece's favorite pop songs and gave it to her for her birthday, and one has all my music on it. In all honesty, I don't really need a new one.

So, for now I will just repurpose old ones and feel kinda good about it...hey, everyone has to start somewhere.

Makes me appreciate that paper is easily recycled and that wood is a completely renewable resource.


http://blogs.whattheythink.com/going-green/2010/11