Aug 27 2008
Mobile Gadgets - Buy, use and recycle
2008-08-27 20:27:55
Buying new electronic gadgets is good for us as well as the economy. Discarding electronic gadgets could be good for friends and family but is often bad for the ecology.
I love upgrading my electronic gadgets to the latest and greatest. Sometimes I do and other times I decide against it because I just do not know what to do with the one I already have.
Right now I carry two cell phones. The whole point of buying my iPhone 3g was to stop using my 8525 PDA cell phone. I had no intention to increase the weight of my bag but I did. The Windows Mobile PDA functions are far better than any of the 3rd party apps from the APP Store so I cannot leave it at home. Until I find something better my 8525 will continue to tag along with me.
In the past I have donated well-loved cell phones to charity. I have not searched out any large organizations but I have supported local drives to gather cell phones. It was easy for me and helped the local organization raise money.
A couple laptops sit on shelves in my electronic storage closet. Yes, I have an entire closet that holds unused gadgets such as digital cameras and a stand alone Sony CD Burner and an external backup drive. (I also keep my printer ink in there) Those laptops make great backup drives. Typically I upgrade my gadgets when the batteries wear out and they are no longer mobile. There is always the chance that I will need one of them in a pinch.
On the other hand laptops are usually pretty easy to hand down to a family member. I am a bit leery of doing this without either changing out the hard drive or wiping it several times. I am not worried that a family member will try to access my information but I do worry that they may eventually sell the laptop.
Everyone does not hold onto preciously new electronic gadgets like I do. In with the new and out with the old is the way for most people. Eventually I will also need to discard some of mine. Even if I keep a gadget the battery will eventually need to be recycled. It is only right to discard batteries and used up devices in the right way.
Buying a new gadget will always make me happy. Deciding what to do with the original gadget will also make me happy. Maybe I will give it away, maybe I will store it away or maybe I will recycle it. Whatever decision I make will be a responsible one and above all that makes the earth happy.
