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Serving Christ in All the World
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So Did Santa Bring You a New Electronic "Toy"? What Now? Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair Chances are great that many of you asked for - and received - multiple electronic gadgets for Christmas. These gadgets might have included computers, monitors, cell phones, televisions, audio and stereo equipment, VCRs, DVD players, video cameras, fax and copying machines, wireless devices, and video game consoles. Chances are also great that many of these gadgets were "replacements" for older models of the same type equipment. Over the last two decades, amazing advancements in technology have led to a dramatic increase in our reliance on these electronic products. When you add to this the fact that the rate of innovation has significantly reduced the average lifespan of these same products (e.g. the life span of a computer has been reduced from perhaps four to five years to approaching two years or less), what you get is an ever-growing rate of electronic, or "e-waste" going into our waste streams. E-waste represents from two to five percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. In a 2000 study, the US EPA reported that more than 20 million personal computers became obsolete in 1998 and only 13 percent were reused or recycled. An estimated 300,000 tons of e-waste ended up in U.S. landfills in 2000 and the problem is growing very rapidly. From 1997 to 2007, it is estimated that 500 million personal computers will become obsolete. A large number of televisions are expected to be disposed of when high definition television becomes widely available. Concern for this part of the waste stream goes beyond a "space in the landfill" issue. E-waste contains hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium, in circuit boards, batteries, and color cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Television and CRT monitors contain four to seven pounds of lead, depending on the size and make. Mercury from electronics has been cited as a leading source of mercury in municipal waste. Estimates of e-waste exported from the US to countries such as India, China and Pakistan are 50 to 80 percent. Once exported, workers in these countries often work without health-protective equipment when they disassemble computers by hand to remove materials such as copper, aluminum, and steel. What can you do if you want to be a good steward of God's creation but also want to own the latest and greatest e-gadget? There are several options for you to consider and pursue, specifically: reuse and donation, recycling, and buying greener electronic products. Reuse:Donating electronics for reuse extends the lives of products, keeping them out of the waste stream for a longer time and minimizes the pollution and resource consumption associated with making new products. By donating used electronics, you allow schools, non-profit organizations, and lower-income families to use equipment that they otherwise could not afford. Recycle: A growing number of local governments are offering computer and electronics collections as part of household hazardous waste collections or special events. Recycling electronics avoids pollution and the need to extract valuable and limited virgin resources. Buy green:You can encourage electronics manufacturers to design greener electronics by purchasing products with environmentally preferable attributes and by requesting take-back options at the time of purchase. Look for electronics that:
Here are Websites where you can find more information and hone your skills as a good environmental steward! http://www.co.orange.nc.us/recycling/a-z-recyclery.asp#computerequipment (Orange County) http://www.goodwill.org/index_gii.cfm/2648 http://www-132.ibm.com/content/search/computer-disposal.html http://www.p2pays.org/electronics/ Send
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