Tips to Reduce Your Electronic Waste and Save Energy

We know it’s important to recycle, but some items, like computers and other tech, can present more of a challenge than others. Recycling is often thought of as the third R in Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle but did you know there’s actually a fourth “R”? By focusing on these 4-Rs we can help reduce our e-waste responsibly. The blog, Going Zero Waste, by Kathryn Kellogg has a good breakdown of the 4-R’s.

 For more of Kathryn’s Zero Waste living tips, check out her book, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste.

1. REFUSE what you don’t need.
2. REDUCE what you have.
3. REUSE what you can.
4. RECYCLE or compost what you cannot.

(Source: About the Lingo - Going Zero Waste)

With this in mind, let’s walk through some simple ways each of us can reduce our e-waste!

Refuse

This step stops waste before it even happens. Thinking about getting a new gadget? Pause and consider if you really need it. If it’s not something that’s serving a true immediate need, choose an amount of time to wait before making the purchase. Often, the things we feel are “needs” offer more of a convenience than a necessary service. Give yourself some time before purchasing for the opportunity to see if a device you already have might be able to do the job, too.

Reduce

We can think about this in two ways. Reduce the number of devices, and reduce the energy those devices use.

Reducing Devices

You may be surprised (as I was) to learn just how many different materials go into the devices we use. According to the EPA:

Materials such as iron, gold, aluminum, palladium, platinum, lithium, copper, and plastics play crucial roles in the high-tech electronics products that affect our daily lives. These materials are extracted from the earth, transported, processed, refined, and incorporated into products. These activities use large amounts of energy and produce greenhouse gas emissions, pollute the environment, and deplete our natural resources. Reducing materials can save natural resources, conserve energy, and reduce pollution.”

Source: https://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/basic-information-about-electronics-stewardship

So, before you get that new “must have” item, consider what you have that already serves the purpose – or if you really need it at all. If you decide it really does serve a purpose for you (perhaps by waiting before purchasing as recommended above) consider purchasing a refurbished item or one made with recycled materials.

Want to learn more about the life-cycle of stuff? Check out:

The Stuff We Buy by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw 

Readers will gain an essential understanding about the consumer buying cycle and the problems that stem from it. Students realize that the ease of online shopping, reliance on machines in manufacturing, and access to cheap labor and materials in less developed countries create a dangerous cycle where money is more important than people and the environment.

Reducing Energy

There’s a common misconception that it’s best to leave your devices on all the time. This idea is rooted in some truth, but it’s based on older mainframe computers. While it’s true that there is a small surge in energy use when a device starts up, the energy used to keep modern devices running overtime is more significant. (Source: Energy Efficient Computers, Home Office Equipment, and Electronics | Department of Energy)

Not sure that you’re done with your device for the day? Set it to “go to sleep” after a period of inactivity. This can save a substantial amount of energy. Plus, by turning off your devices or putting them to sleep when you’re not using them, you help to keep the equipment from overheating. Keeping cool helps devices to last longer.

As a good rule of thumb, Energy.gov recommends set your computer to automatically go into sleep mode after 20 minutes not being used, and plan to turn it off if you’re not going to be using the device for more than 2 hours. (Source: Energy Efficient Computers, Home Office Equipment, and Electronics | Department of Energy)

Did you know that your devices can still use power when they’re off? This is referred to as “Standby Power”. Standby power can actually account for 5 to 10 percent of residential energy use! So, how can we save this energy? Energy.gov has three simple suggestions:

1. Use a Power Strip with Switches. You can use a power strip with on/off switches to plug in your appliances. Surge protector power strips typically have such switches and help protect your appliances and electronics. If you plug all of your products into a power strip and flip off the power strip when these items are not in use, they are truly off.
2. Unplug Your Products. Another sure way to reduce your standby power load is to just unplug your products. Now, there are some products that you will want to keep plugged in, such as the digital alarm clock in your bedroom or the refrigerator. But there are many appliances that you may not need to have plugged in, such as a toaster oven. 
3. Consider using ENERGY STAR® products. Many ENERGY STAR products are energy efficient and have lower standby power than comparable non-ENERGY STAR products.

Source: 3 Easy Tips to Reduce Your Standby Power Loads | Department of Energy

Reuse

According to the EPA, preventing waste in the first place is preferable to any waste management option, including recycling. Donating used (but still operating) electronics for reuse extends the lives of valuable products and keeps them out of the waste stream for a longer period of time. Some things to consider ahead of bringing your items to donate:

• Could you improve the functionality of your device by upgrading the hardware or software so that you can continue to use it?
• Make sure to delete all personal information from your electronics.
• Remove any batteries from your electronics, they may need to be recycled separately.

For more reading on this topic check out:

Unscrewed: Salvage and Reuse Motors, Gears, Switches, and More from Your Old Electronics by Edwin J. C. Sobey 

Admit it: you love to explore how things work. Screwdriver and pliers in hand, no castoff electronics or old appliances are safe. But once you've pulled apart your prey, do you really just want to screw it back together again . . . assuming you could? Unscrewed is the perfect resource for all UIYers -- Undo It Yourselfers -- looking to salvage hidden treasures or repurpose old junk.

Recycle

While we can’t just put our electronic recycling out with our paper and plastic for pick up, you’ll find that you can recycle these devices with minimal effort (and the various metals inside of them). In Mercer County, the Improvement Authority (MCIA) hosts multiple recycling events throughout the year. 

Check the dates for Electronic Recycling: SPECIAL EVENTS - Mercer County NJ Improvement Authority (mcianj.org)

For additional options, check out the Recycling Center Search - Earth911.com. Simply enter the item you’re looking to recycle and your zip code to find options near you.

Just think, in 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that:

Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 U.S. homes in a year.

For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered. (Source: Electronics Donation and Recycling | US EPA)

- by Joanna Potts, Technology Instruction