Culture

Why And How To Recycle Electronics – With A Geek Touch

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recycle green cyke

Let’s talk recycling your electronics.Now this is something we rarely think bout since we geeks don’t like to throw stuff away, and sometimes shiny new things distract us.  It’s something I admit I didn’t think about much until my last move, when I had far less roommates (read zero) a mix of more and less space, and some unpacked boxes from my last move. There’s nothing like suddenly wondering “what the hell do I do with an old Tivo” to get you thinking.

Since the holidays have passed, except for the Celebration Of The New Year By Inebriation, and because I got curious about the issue of electronic recycling, Muse Hack is proud to present a guide to electronic recycling. It’s a chance to be a good geek citizen, learn more, and of course clean out that box of stuff you’ve really been meaning to clean out honest.

But first, let’s focus on why you do this.

Why Recycle Electronics?

OK, so why actually go out of our way to figure out how to dispose of that broken Nintendo DS, old cell phone, or broken computer? There’s plenty of good reasons, but let’s go with the obvious one.

Because E-Waste Is Insanely Toxic

Our friends at Electronics Take Back have a helpful guide as to all the things in electronics that can harm and kill you and destroy the environment. This is highly informative, a bit scary, and if you’re really clever, a source of horrific ideas for your next eco-apocalypse novel. Read through their helpful lists and you’ll star understanding why the EPA has so many rules on this.

If you really want to go hardcore science, then head over to EWaste and get a helpful list of all the hazardous substances in electronics. Honestly, at this rate it makes you want to use gloves whenever you dial your cell phone.

So what does all this toxicity mean? It means that finding proper ways to dispose of and reuse electronics is a damned good idea for our health. Just shoving stuff in a landfill is bad, however . . .

Remember, this stuff is hazardous and a lot of it is recycled legally or illegally in foreign countries. So let’s pick our recycling methods carefully so we’re not just dumping stuff on places that will become toxic hellholes.

If you’re gonna get rid of those old electronics, let’s do it in a way that minimizes the whole destroying the planet thing.

In fact, maybe we don’t need to break so much stuff down because . . .

Others Can Use It

That computer or phone that is out of date for you is probably a heck of a lot of useful to someone else who doesn’t need the latest gizmos. Which is probably more of us than we’d like to admit, but stick with me here.

Ever give someone an old computer? Ever donate a cell phone in one of those bins you see at electronics stories? Ever given old software to a school or museum? There’s plenty of ways to repurpose electronics without breaking them down. People can use this stuff.

It’s just that we don’t often think about it. Electronics are now a permanent part of first world life, a fixture we’re all to used to. We’re used to getting the latest thing. We’re used to them being everywhere.

We never think about how others can use it.

So when you start recycling your electronics, its a chance to do some good.

Make Some Money Back

Also to be brutally honest, you can sell some of the stuff you have. It’s not as noble an endeavor, but sometimes you sunk a lot of money into electronics and it seems fair to get something back.

There’s ways to sell of or reuse electronics to save or even get some money. Why not look into them rather than throw things away?

Now admittedly, I’m not exactly a supporter of this dollar-for-everything approach, but sometimes I think a person is entitled to at least its understandable for them to get some money back on an investment.

A Chance To Learn

No, really. When you stop dumping electronics in the garbage or in donation bins and start thinking of where to send them, how to repurpose them, it’s educational. It takes you out of the consumer cycle and into thinking about how to use it, employ it, and reuse it.

I repurposed an old Netbook into an Android box just to learn it. There’s fix-it shops at a local hackerspace a few miles from me where people gather to repair old devices. Plenty of people turn aged computers into light web servers.

Looking for innovative ways to recycle can teach you a lot of skills. Or be a conversation piece when you turn an old coffee maker into a fishbowl.

The Circle Of Life

OK, excuse me for getting mystical, but I find that recycling electronics is also a great way to keep aware of just how this stuff comes into being, is used, and what it means for the economy. Oh, and how the chemicals can kill you, but also in general the entire cycle of life thing.

You’ll learn how things are made and shipped, about chemicals and carbon footprints, about charities and refurbishing, and about skills and science. Trust me, just poking my nose into recycling from a purely practical point of view opened up an entire world to me that was rarely visible (especially in Silicon Valley) – where this stuff goes when it dies or gets reborn.

Now I know there’s recycling charities and corporate drives, EPA issues to be aware of, instruction guides for repurposing, and economic trends to watch for. For instance there’s certification programs for e-Recyclers in the US or you may find out about the life cycle of a cell phone.

So plenty of reasons to recycle. Now let’s dive into the resources I found on just how to do this.

Hang on, it’s gonna be an insane ride. Now by the way, this isn’t a complete guide, but it should be enough to get you started.

How To Donate And Recycle Your Electronics

OK first of all you want to actually recycle this stuff safely. I was able to find a lot with a little searching and a visit to the EPA.

General Guides

A few quick guides to what to do, and where to look are here:

  • The EPA Guide Page – To give you all the basics and some guides.
  • Earth 911 –  has plenty of recycling guides for electronics as well as other items.

Where to Send it

A lot of donations and recycling can be done locally (which is often easier).  Here’s some ways to find out what’s near you:

Charity Donations

You doubtlessly have many charities that take donations – some local, some national, and so on. Always be sure you check out what donations they do take. You might want to keep your devices in the local economy. So be it UNICEF or Goodwill or Oxfam, you can probably find someone local/international to take your stuff and put it to use.

Secondly, many charities have special focuses on given electronics such as how the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence takes cell phone donations.  If there’s any charity or cause you’re involved in, do some research to see if you have a ready-made opportunity to donate your electronic devices while supporting your favorite cause.  The more electronics become part of our daily lives, the more common I think this has become.

Third, a few even charities use electronic donations as a specific driver, taking donations to fund other causes – or local ones:

There’s also many causes that are dedicated to taking donations for electronics that reuse and repurpose them – excellent not just to donate for, but for we technically-inclined individuals to get directly involved in.  That’s a hint. (of course this is in the Civic Geek Catalog too).

(Oh and these tend to be US-centric.  Kind of focusing on what I know.).

  • Cell Phone Bank – Takes donations of cell phones and recycles them for use as emergency phones.
  • Cell Phones For Soldiers – Provides refurbed cell phones and more to soldiers so they can keep in touch.
  • Close The Gap – Takes computer donations from european countries and refurbishes them for emerging nations. Also works to recycle unusable equipment safely.
  • Computers With Causes – Takes donated computers and either gets them to charitable programs, or sells them for funds used to go to programs
  • Hope Phones – Outfits global health care workers (part of Medic Mobile) with donated cell phones.
  • Komputers4rkids – Focused on Southern California, the goal of Komputers4rkids is to bridge the digital gap in technology, and they accept electronic donations to help do it.
  • PCS for Schools – Refurbishes and upgrades donated computer equipment and uses it to bridge the technology gap in schools
  • Students Recycling Used Technology –  A kind of alliance of education causes and recycling and has (or had) chapters in Arizona, California, Georgia, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Utah. The Arizona and California ones seem to be the only ones active now.  Hey, might be an idea for you to pitch in if you’re in a StRUTless state . . .
  • The National Christina Foundation – Promotes technology reuse and helps connect people with local organizations and individuals that need their donations.
  • Wireless Foundation – Takes donations of used cell phones and focuses on ending family violence.
  • World Computer Exchange – A US and Canadian non-profit that reduces the digital divide with education, donated computers, and more.

There’s almost certainly more.  Let me know what you find!

For Profit Companies Taking Donations Or Recycling

Plenty of for-profit companies will help buy, recycle, repurpose,or otherwise take care of your electronic waste. Now they each have their own ways of doing things, but still it’s useful – and a few give gift cards or other things for your donation.

First, your’ll want to look for local organizations. Silicon Valley is infamous for the Weird Stuff Warehouse which takes donations and will e-cycle if needed – If you’re in a tech hub, you probably have a few equivalents.  Check your local listings – you might even make some friends or find a fun place to go to get odd technology.

Secondly some electronics and office companies do e-cycling. Some are limited to their own products, but still.

Also don’t forget many mobile phone carriers have a buyback program as part of your usual programs.

Give It Away

Well it’s easy to go on Craigslist or Freecycle and give things away – you can almost always find someone that wants and needs the things you don’t.  Post to social media for that matter and see who may need it.

Sell it

You can always sell things on:

Not to mention local options.

Repair Shop

Why donate stuff when you can fix it up? Test out and improve your skills actually fixing stuff (and then maybe donating it anyway).

A local hackserspace near me has a repair shop once a month where people bring in devices and others try to fix them. I’m sure you could find – or organize – a similar event.

Moving Forward

So now that you’ve thought about donating your electronics, recycling them, and avoiding terrifying confrontations with ecological reality, what’s next? Well I’ve got a few more resources to help you out.

  • http://www.amm.com/ – The American Metals authority. This may not sound like the most exciting read, but it’s a publication with a long history on the metals industry – including recycling and of course e-waste. You can dig up some fascinating information on what’s going on in the area, new plants being, built, and more.
  • http://greenergadgets.org/ – Greener Gadgets from the CEA provides guides on technology and the environment and responsible activities.
  • http://www.electronicsrecyclingdirectory.com/ – A guide to the Electronics Recycling Industry along with classifies, articles, and more. Good if you want to dive deep into the subject.
  • http://e-stewards.org/ – A site providing a recycler guide, news, and more for those interested in recycling.
  • http://www.electronicsrecycling.org/ – National Center For Electronics Recycling. A nonprofit that works to build and coordinate initiatives to improve electronic recycling.
  • http://greenelectronicscouncil.org/ – The Green Electronics Council. A nonprofit focused on environmental leadership in electronics
  • http://www.step-initiative.org/ – The Step Initiative takes a long-term view of understanding, planning for, recycling, and avoiding e-waste. If this is a cause dear to your heart, you may want to get involved.

As I said, diving into the world of e-recycling raises your awareness.  What more are you going to learn as you move forward . . .

 

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Geek Downshifting

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bike door simple

Downshifting is a term I’ve heard thrown around now and then, and not in the automotive sense. The basic idea is to adjust lifestyles to be slower, balanced, more meaningful, and less consumer driven. It’s not something that seems to have caught fire as a fad or even be particularly well-defined, which is probably fortunate. It’s an idea of deliberately and consciously scaling back complicated lives, and from what I can tell the term’s been around since about 1998 (I found it first in this chapter of the “Overspent American“), and I see it used enough that I can declare it “a thing.”

(Sort of like “Creative Class” is a useful term, even if hard to relate to any mathematically identifiable set of things. So it’s in my vocabulary and you have to live with it.)

However I didn’t think about the term as much until I’d actually begun Downshifting. Without using that term, of course, but I’ve been doing it for a few years. As a hardcore geek, who had an Atari 2600 and who has his Star Wars figures on a memorabilia shelf, I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences because I think they may be relevant to we geeks, our lifestyles, and our future lifestyles.  In fact, I think we geeks are prime candidates for Downshifting and would benefit from it greatly.

So going on, I’ll basically define Downshifting as seeking a more balanced, harmonious, conscious life that’s less consumerist and more integrated. The term is important, I think, as it really tells us right now that we’ve made life too complex, too hectic – and oddly, less meaningful.

My Downshifting Experience

For me, my first Downshifting began when my (now) ex-wife and I were moving nearly a decade ago and we had to throw out a lot of stuff in the storage room. Actually it sort of made me wonder “why the hell do we need a storage room” because we got rid of a lot of stuff.  As in I was measuring the amount in cubic feet and just standing there amazed – and I liked having less stuff around.

A few years later, when we had to move out to Silicon Valley, another purge of possessions happened. Even when someone’s willing to help relocate you, you ask “why am I taking this stuff?” It made me think – where did all of this come from?  Why did we have it?  That felt almost purifying.

Then a few years after that, I was getting divorced, and that really made me rethink.

I’d read Azby’ Brown’s “Just Enough” a book on the Edo period of Japan and the efficient and often eco-friendly behaviors of the time (even if some where unpleasant and out of necessity). It’d made me think about possessions and about diets and environment.  How much do you need?  Why don’t we have more environmentally-friendly diets?  That led to a few changes in my life:

  • I moved to a vegetarian diet originally out of environmental consciousness first and health benefits second. However I quickly realized how many benefits there were to the simpler food, the simpler lifestyle, and less processing in the diet I chose. Really I was eating the “don’t eat crap and cook it yourself vegetarian diet” – less eating out, less proceeded food. Since my doctor wanted me to loose weight, it was a good idea.
  • I also had to live on my own after a series of possible roommates didn’t work out. That required me to ask what I needed and what I was keeping, and what was my ex-wife’s and what was mine and what we didn’t care about. That really makes one think about needs and posessions.
  • Once I had resettled after the divorce, I had also sought a walkable area – and in Silicon Valley we’ve got quite a few of them if you shop around. I could walk to stores and so on.  Less driving, less fuss, less hectic planning of shopping trips.  More exercise as well.

So I went through a big life simplification – and I loved it.  I loved the increased simplicity. I liked the ability to just walk somwehre. I liked eating food I made that was both delicious and healthy – I always liked to cook but as I got more and more into the health benefits I really grew as a cook. I lost weight (40 lbs), my health was great, I and I felt less pressured.

Hell, most pressure had been my own doing.  Still is, but you get the idea.

At the same time I was still the geek I am. Computers and video games, high tech jobs and web pages were part of my life. I was simplifying my life in the middle of one of the craziest places on earth. In many cases the high technology made it easier to simplify, from doing spreadsheets for relocation to researching food, finding the best deals, or finding social events where I’d just hang out.

Even now, I’m considering a few more changes. I’m making even more food for myself (pickles, peanut butter), and looking at places to live that would make my car optional. I evaluate the gadgets I get, maximizing power and experience while minimizing cost and waste. Even my time management is changing as I examine ways to optimize parts of my life.

I’ve seen other geek friends Downshift and clear out unneeded possessions or relocate, and be much happier as a result.. Perhaps we’re at at time where we’ve overdone it and it’s time to slow down.

In fact, I’m slowing down and being as big a Geek as ever. And I’m thinking that Downshifting is something we geeks need to seriously consider.

Why Downshifting May Be Good For Us

So I can say right off the bat that my original Downshifting – and now my conscious Downshifting – has had a lot of benefits:

  1. I eat much healthier and make less of an impact on the environment with my diet – as well as learning much more about cooking and healthy lifestyles.
  2. I get more exercise, taking time to walk and not drive.
  3. I buy less crap, better using my money better and leveraging my purchases more effectively.
  4. I make the most of social time, enjoying the ability to walk to a coffee shop, or play video games in person at jams, or go out. I even am helping out in museum archiving. I live in an area bursting with social opportunities that are face-to-face and cheap or free.
  5. I feel happier, even in stressful times.

Really, right now how many of we geeks could use better health, better money management, more social time and less stress? Especially those of us working in high tech industries and challenging situations? Yeah, probably all of us.

Sometimes when I watch the latest high-tech gizmo get announced, talk to a programmer who worked 90 hour weeks, or watch my fellow geeks get overloaded I think we’ve overdone it. We’re in the age of geek, where in a time where its our movies and our careers that are big, where there’s all sorts of cool stuff. But there’s too much for us to all do or enjoy and somehow we seem to have less.

Ever encounter someone who is living La Vida Geeka, with games and technology and gizmos and they seemed miserable? Yeah, I know what you mean. And i’m not exactly Mr. Sunshine No-Stress-Joy.

So I think we Geeks need to consider Downshifting.

In fact, I think we’re uniquely suited for it.

Downshifting As Part Of The Geek Way

So establishing that we probably all could use a little Downshifting, here’s why I think we as a population are actually well suited to it.

  1. We’re pretty high-tech. Sure that can enslave us to our cell phones, but also means with have the knowledge and tools to use our gadgets to make life easier. When we can find health advice online, log new recipes, or retrofit an old laptop as a media box as opposed to buying one.  We can use our knowledge to make life easier.
  2. We’re science-savvy. If you’re at all scientifically aware, you’re aware of the economic, climate, and other issues troubling people. We can make lifestyle decisions to work within these limits – and engage socially to make changes. Hell we usually know global warming is an issue, which is all to rare these days.
  3. We know different pleasures. Geek culture has a long history of thinking outside the mainstream, even if now it is mainstreaming. We still have a sense of knowing how to enjoy things we like as opposed to what’s “hip.” We can blow seven bucks a month on an anime streaming site and have more fun than using all that money on one game ticket.  That attitude means we can structure our lives to be enjoyed, not follow trends.
  4. We’ve got social ties. The idea of the antisocial geek concept was never true. We’ve got conventions and writer’s groups and comic shops and all that. We have ways to connect and have fun and be part of our communities. We can slow down and have fun that connects us and is often free (Well, free if you’re on say,the convention staff).
  5. We’re still a bit out of the mainstream. I think though we’re now being catered to by the culture, we’re still a bit “different” enough that questioning our consumer culture and culture in general is easier as it’s still our culture. We have enough distance to make changes in our lifestyles easier – and own them.
  6. We’ve got options. A lot of us are in professions that give us choices in life. We can move or work remotely or whatever to Downshift, save money, and so on. I know engineers now who barely even go into their office.
  7. We can play the locations – a lot of geeky areas have downshifting options. Sure I live in an area where rent is excessive – but also has many options to live cheaply and well if you do your research. There’s also services like Zipcar or public transportation that can allow us to downshift and save time and money – if we’re in the right area and know what we’re doing
  8. It’s a good time. In an age of streaming media, downloadable games, and so on there are options to Downshift for geeky pleasures.

Really, we Geeks, we high-tech science-minded people with options, should be embracing the idea of Downshifting. Hell, our lives are probably crazy enough as it is considering the amount of TPS reports we have to produce that we ought to try it for our sanity.

The One Barrier To Geek Downshifting

However I see one barrier to Geek Downshifting: Consumerism.

One unfortunate issue of geek culture is there’s a consumerist element to it. We often identify ourselves by choices in media, gadgets owned, games played, and so on. Part of our culture, as I’ve analyzed before, is about what we buy (and not always a good area to identify with)

That’s a bit of an issue because it makes buying part of our culture. Sure there’s the understandable element of buying a CD we treasure, but then there’s random crap we turn out never to use. Consumerism is always lurking in the shadows, in useless stuff we buy at a con or the gadget we don’t need but just think we have to get.

I think it’s worth scaling that back in practice and in identity.

We geeks are people that love things and get into them. We don’t need to buy everything or own everything. We’re about what we experience and do and apply. We’re about connecting with each other.  We’re not a pile of unwatched CDs or action figures in a closet – those are side effects to being a geek.

If anything, I think we’ve had too much encouragement of geek consumerism as geek is hip – and thus people realize they can sell crap to us. Well we don’t need more crap.  We can make our own, as anyone leaving an artist’s alley at a big con can tell you.

Besides, there’s many geek things we can enjoy for free.  Fanfic is free.  Having friends over to play games is free (well except for gas and original purchases).  Just hanging out online only costs electricity.

So I’d recommend a bit more geek consumer awareness here. Let’s buy what we need (and buy local when we can) and focus on what’s important. It may also help us Downshift more as we have less stuff, the stuff we has is more important, and we save money.

Closing Thoughts

Donwshifting is probably necessary for our sanity in todays go-go-culture, and to be honest in these troubled economic and ecological times we may not have much choice. Better to do it consciously now than have it forced on us by external events.  Better to do it now and leverage our geek advantages.

Me, it’s made me a healthier and happier person. I’d rather taking my homemade bread to a video game jam or writing these posts to buying a bunch of stuff I don’t need. I’d rather my walkable small apartment than a big one away from everyone. I’d rather a career where I know the boundaries than killing myself at a startup where someone else gets all the money.

I think Downshifting can make a lot of us happier.

So what’s next, my geeks? Ready to Downshift?

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Fan I Am Roundup

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So why do we identify as fans?  Why does the media we consume matter to us?  Why is liking something important.  Steve explores the questions and comes up with theories – and fandom is closer to supposedly nonfannish things than we may think . .

 

 
– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.