E-Cycling: The Green Parent's Guide to Disposing of Electronic Gadgets

As a parent with young children, I have found that it is almost as hard to keep up with technology as it is to keep up with a two year old. Old model computers, televisions, and cell phones are replaced faster than you can say VCR. But where do all those gadgets go when they die?

According to Earth 911, Americans tossed 1.5 billion tons of e-waste in 2006, including 44 million computers and televisions. Worldwide, 88 billion tons of e-waste were trashed in 2006.

Each one of these electronic gadgets is chock full of toxic chemicals like mercury and lead that create an environmental mess when they leach into the soil and groundwater. CRT-based computer monitors and televisions (the kinds that have tubes) contain on average 4-8 pounds of lead. Flat panel models contain less lead but more mercury. (Earth 911 site can give details about the nasty stuff that can be found in your TVs, cell phones and computers.) Industry experts estimate even though e-waste currently accounts for only 1 to 4% of municipal waste, it may be responsible for as much as 70% of the heavy metals in landfills, including 40% of all lead.

Landfilling electronics also wastes the otherwise useful materials such as glass, copper, aluminum, plastic and other components that could be extracted and reused. Finally, of the e-waste that is recycled (an admittedly small percentage of the lot) roughly 50-80% is exported to countries such as China and Mexico where it is dismantled without regard to human or environmental safety.

So if you have an old gadget that you want to get rid of, it is extremely important to make sure it is disposed of properly. Here’s how to green your e-waste:

Find It A New Home: Keep your old electronic devices out of the landfill by finding them a new home. Ask around among friends and family, Freecycle, or donate the item.

Send It Back: Contact the product’s manufacturer to find out if they have a policy for taking back their old gadgets. Some companies, such as Dell, will take back not only their own products but their competitor's as well.

Recycle It Right: Check out the EPA’s Plug-In to Recycling site for a list of companies that sponsor e-waste take back events and to find an e-cycling event in your community. If you can’t find one nearby, check out the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition’s list of Responsible Recyclers in your area.

Test Your Trash Can I.Q.

What's your Trash Can I.Q? Do you know how long it takes each of these items to break down in the waste stream? Take this quiz to test your knowledge and find out why recycling is so important!

Test Your Trash Can I.Q.

Paper

	2 to 5 months
	1 to 2 years
	5 to 10 years

Question 1 out of 8

Quiz by Quibblo

http://quibblo.com/trackback/iA-3K4

Got Leaves? Get Composting!

Have you ever met a kid who didn't love jumping into a pile of freshly raked leaves? I certainly haven't! So with a beautiful fall weekend almost within reach, it's time to rev up you rakes and get ready for some weekend fun. And after your kids get finished smashing the leaves to smithereens, be sure to add any leftover bits to your compost pile. Composting is the ultimate recycler, turning your yard waste and kitchen scraps into usable (and sought after) plant food. If you don't already have one, this is the perfect time to get started.

Why Compost?

1. Save Money: Why pay money for plant food and fertilizers when you can make your own with some broken down leaves and newspapers. Composting is not as hard as you think and it can save you a fortune in yard care products.
   
2. Reduce Waste: Every scrap you put in the compost bin is one less scrap that's locked away in a landfill.
   
3. Protect Your Plants and The Planet: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "compost has been shown to suppress plant diseases and pests, reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, and promote higher yields of agricultural crops." The organization has also found that the composting process can help absorb odors, bind heavy metals, and break down toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Starting A Compost Pile

There are tons of resources out there that cover the composting process inside and out. Basically, to get started you will need 2 types of ingredients:

• Carbon (shredded newspapers, cardboard, and straw)
• Nitrogen (lawn clippings, kitchen waste, and weeds).

Combine them together and before long you'll have compost. If you're feeling lazy you don't need to do anything else (but wait and wait). You'll have usable compost by next year even if you never touch the pile again. If you'd like things to move along a little more quickly, you'll need to turn the pile and add a few drops of water every few weeks. If you really want to get the most from your waste, check out a few online resources:

How To Compost.org
How To Make Compost
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Composting Info

Recycling 101

Recycling is a great way to keep stuff out of the landfill and reduce the need for new materials. And if you are lucky enough to live in a community that heavily supports (or even mandates) recycling, the task may be as simple as remembering which stuff to put in the recycle bin. But for most folks (like me) recycling is more of a DIY adventure involving washing, sorting, and transporting recyclables to the nearest recycling center. Click here to read all about the benefits of recycling. Once you're convinced, check out these tips on what, how, and where to recycle:

What Should You Recycle?

The Top 10 Items To Recycle

1. Aluminum
2. PET Plastic (#1)
3. Newspaper
4. Corrugated Cardboard
5. Steel Cans
6. HDPE Plastics (#2)
7. Glass
8. Magazines
9. Mixed Paper
10. Computers

Source: National Recycling Coalition

How To Recycle

• Look Locally: Find out what items your local recycling center will take by plugging your zip code into the Earth 911 website.
  
• Play By The Rules: Take a minute to learn the recycling rules at your local center. They may require you to take a few extra steps like removing the caps from plastic bottles or excluding medicine bottles from your recycling. Play by the rules to make recycling work for everyone.
  
• Get Sorted: Set aside a spot in your kitchen or laundry room for recyclables. If you really want to get organized, try using stacked bins that keep everything sorted and tidy. The Recycling Center's 3-tiered stacked recycle bin is available here. No space? Place a small trash can under the sink to hold it all. Personally, I like the Apartment Recycling Bag. It's sturdy, lightweight and easy to schlep with children.
  

Where To Recycle

Whether it's paint, plastic, or used motor oil, if it's recyclable, the Earth 911 website will tell you the closest place to drop it off.

Recycle This!

Recycling is a great idea, but when you’re pressed for time, it may seem just so much easier to toss things in the trash. Let’s face it, when you’re trying to clean up the dinner dishes, help your kids with their homework, and put up a load of laundry, it can be a real drag to rinse out that empty jar of spaghetti sauce or can of soup. But keep this in mind…the more stuff you recycle, the fewer trips you will have to make to the dumpster. Take a minute now to rinse a jar and you'll save time and energy later schlepping garbage. As a bonus, recycling creates jobs, saves energy, preserves natural resources, reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, and keeps toxins from leaking out of landfills.

Packing Peanuts

Call the Plastic Loosefill Council at 1-800-828-2214 for a list of locations where you can drop off those plastic peanuts that you get in shipments. Most UPS Store locations accept foam packaging peanuts for reuse. Check out www.theupsstore.com for a location near you.

Grasscycling

Bagging up leaves and other yard trimmings not only wastes your time and energy, it also puts a tremendous strain on the environment. Instead, try grasscycling. After you mow, leave the grass clippings on the lawn. They will naturally decompose into the soil, helping to hold in soil moisture, prevent freezing, and return nutrients to the soil.

See Double

Whether you’re at home or at work, get in the habit of using both sides of a piece of paper. Kids’ art projects, grocery lists, and messages can give paper a second life. Check with your kids’ school to see if any of your waste (such as jars, magazines, paper towel rolls, newspapers, or plastic bottles) could be used for art projects. At the store, bring along your own shopping bags; either the plastic bags from your last trip, or better yet, a reusable tote bag.