Chances are, many Americans received shiny, new gadgets for the holidays — meaning their old electronics will either collect dust in a closet somewhere or get tossed out.
These unwanted laptops, tablets and printers contribute to the enormous amount of electronic waste, or “e-waste,” that continually piles up in our landfills. According to the EPA, 3.4 million tons of tech gear was trashed in 2012, and unfortunately, only 12.5 percent of e-waste is currently recycled.
Not only this an environmental nightmare, e-waste also negatively affects our health. As DoSomething.com states, “E-waste represents 2 percent of America’s trash in landfills, but it equals 70 percent of overall toxic waste. The extreme amount of lead in electronics alone causes damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the kidneys.”
MORE: One Company’s Quest to Reduce Electronic Waste in Landfills
Without a federal mandate on e-waste, it’s up to individual states to take the lead. One such state is New York.
To combat this growing health and environmental threat, starting on Jan. 1, it will be illegal for New York state residents to toss out electronics on the curb along with their regular trash. This law encompasses just about all the electronic equipment that New Yorkers commonly own, such as computers, DVD players and televisions (see the full list here). Under the new law, residents will have to properly recycle their gizmos or pay a $100 fine per violation. (The state has different regulations for other electronic items such as cell phones and rechargeable batteries.)
“Electronic equipment, which often contains lead, mercury and cadmium, now makes up the largest and fastest growing component of the hazardous materials entering the waste stream,” Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia tells NY1.
New York already has the most comprehensive e-waste recycling law in the nation (it offers free collection and recycling for a whole slew of products), so this new law is just taking it a step further.
To help residents learn about the new e-waste law, the city of New York created a 30-second ad to play in taxi cabs and local channels.
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It’s still legal to dump old electronics in a number of states, but the good news is that half of the states (see which ones on this map) have passed some kind of legislation for recycling on the disposal and recycling of electronics, and more states are considering similar laws.
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Tag: e-waste
6 Common Environmental Culprits That Need Regulation
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about California being the first state to ban plastic bags (even though Hawaii arguably deserves the title). This news is undoubtedly fantastic, but it’s really just a small victory in light of much larger environmental problems.
Adam Minter writes on Bloomberg View that the ban — now awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature — is much more symbolic than real: “Gestures such as these can be important in inspiring broader, more meaningful environmental reform. But they risk fueling a self-congratulatory complacency that distracts from more serious challenges.”
He’s got a point. As Minter says, the 3.4 million tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps thrown out in 2012 is just 10 percent of the 31.8 million tons of total plastics thrown away, or a mere 1.3 percent of the 251 million tons of solid waste generated annually.
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Plastic bags are just a start. Here are six other big, wasteful household items that deserve our attention, and more importantly, what can be done about them.
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Why This Thriving E-Waste Recycling Company Hires Recovering Addicts
When old computers, cell phones and other unwanted gadgets aren’t properly recycled, they just end up in our landfills. According to DoSomething.org, this so-called “e-waste” takes up only two percent of space in America’s landfills — but it accounts for a whopping 70 percent of overall toxic waste.
Which is exactly why we need companies such as MHD Enterprises, an Austin, Texas-based electronics recycling company that re-purposes unwanted tech gear. But this eco-friendly, multi-million dollar company does more than simply look out for the environment. It has another important social agenda as well: Giving a second chance to people that most employers probably wouldn’t even consider hiring.
As Fast Company reports, nearly 70 percent of the staff at MHD are recovering drug or alcohol addicts.
So who’s at the helm of this company with unusual hiring practices? The founder and CEO of this thriving operation is Michael Dadashi, a former heroin addict himself.
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According to the publication, Dadashi started his e-waste company to support his addictions (he says he was a “full-blown heroin addict” by the time he was only 18 years old). But in 2009, after he nearly killed himself while overdosing behind the wheel, he had a turning point in his life and decided that he needed to get clean. Once he found himself back on track, Dadashi hired employees for MHD from a rehab center where he was also serving as a sponsor.
“When I had this spiritual awakening, the number one thing that was taught to me was to give back to others,” Dadashi says in the video below. “I started to live a life of purpose, I started giving back to the community. That enabled me to have internal success.”
Along with his own personal growth, his company has also found success since its founding in 2007. In 2012, the magazine Inc. named MHD the 28th fastest-growing company in America. Dadashi has also been recognized by Austin Green Business Leaders, plus he’s been nominated for CEO of the Year by the 2014 CEO World Awards.
“We have a unity here that’s unlike any other company,” he continues. “We have true gratitude and true loyalty to each other because we all come from the same walks of life.”
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One Company’s Quest to Reduce Electronic Waste in Landfills
Every time you or your company gets rid of old phones, laptops or printers more and more electronic waste piles up. Case in point: According to the EPA, 2.37 million tons of discarded televisions, fax machines, keyboards, cell phones and other tech gear was trashed in 2009. With the proliferation of smartphones alone, one can only imagine how much that number has increased since then.
When this e-waste isn’t properly recycled, it just ends up in landfills, which is exactly why we need companies like the California-based GreenMouse Recycling, which makes sure that old and unwanted gadgets are safely processed and responsibly disposed.
But more than just looking out for the environment, GreenMouse Recylcing CEO Evelyn O’Donnell has another agenda — to give “unhireables” a chance at employment, as Good News Network reports. Since 2011, the CEO has partnered with the San Jose, California’s work2future program to provide training and employment opportunities for at-risk young adults. The e-waste company’s internship program trains these kids skills that will give them a leg up in the real world — such as social media marketing, computer refurbishing, and data management.
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And it doesn’t end there. According to the report, GreenMouse’s commitment for social equality also extends to their fundraising efforts, donating more than a quarter of a million dollars to schools, churches, and non-profits such as the YMCA and Alzheimer’s Association.
“From their employees to their interns, and from customers to non profits, GreenMouse is paving a new path for corporate-social responsibility,” said O’Donnell’s daughter Briana, who also works for the company. “Not everyone can say that they are not only excited but proud of what they do and I count my blessings that I get to wake up and say it every day.”
Read This Before Tossing Your Old Computer
Don’t be too hasty to throw out your old computer, monitor, printer or router. It could very well help someone else in need. According to the EPA, some 45,000 tons of electronics each year are ready for end-of-life management, but only 25% get collected for recycling. Enter the National Cristina Foundation (NCF), which helps donors place their discarded technology in new homes — schools with at-risk or low-income students, for example, or agencies and nonprofit organizations that provide support for the disabled. “We focus on these areas because there’s a huge need,” executive director Bud Rizer told Earth 911. Donating is easy, too. NCF’s website can easily match needy groups with your old tech. It’s a simple win-win for the environment and for the people who need your still-useful stuff.
This Company Solves a Bigger Problem Than You Think
Kabira Stokes’ socially conscious company Isidore Electronics Recycling does more than just re-purpose e-waste, the valuable but potentially hazardous metal components in discarded phones and computers. It employs people with criminal records. Stokes’ motivation to start the company came from a painful personal experience when she realized she had the power to make a difference. After two hundred tons of recycled e-waste and counting, the company is on firm ground to keep helping people stay employed and out of the prison system forever.