Friday, January 21, 2011

Upsides to the Down Economy/ Recycle Responsibly


Do you have a similar looking container around your house, filled with old electronics in a jumbled mess? Once the nice new shiny toys arrive in December, many of our old toys lose their lustre. Tempting as it is, you should not just toss them out with the trash. Number one, it increases the amount of junk in our landfills. Number two, if the item contains batteries, it is a hazardous material, bad for the environment and polluting the soil and water it is leached into. The best thing to do is try and find someone who can use the discarded cell phone, charger, computer etc... assuming the item is still in working order. E-bay is a good place to sell these items, since it reaches more people than other websites. While the charger to your old cell phone is trash to you, it could be just what another person needs and make you some treasure, in the process.
If your electronics are no longer working, you could possibly take them to a local collection center; we have eight locations here in Miami. If your town doesn't offer that option, there are other places that will take them, most of them for free. Best Buy and Dell will take used electronics, free of charge. Sony, won't take computers, but will take other electronics (from camcorders to cell phones) for free. Staples and Hewlett Packard both charge (from $10 up) to take old computers, but Hewlett Packard will take inkjet cartridges, rechargeable batteries and cell phones for free. January is the perfect time is to clean up and get organized. Just make sure you're responsible about disposing of your electronics when you do so. Mother Earth and its citizens will thank you. Unless, of course, the world is coming to an end in 1012, in which case, like Rosanneadanadana says "Nevermind."

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