Last week, in celebration of Earth Day, the construction management company that I work for recognized me in its newsletter for being sustainably minded.  I was very honored, and it got me thinking.  We are in the midst of a company wide cell phone upgrade process. This replacement of, quite literally, thousands of phones made me stop to ponder about how  often this sort of practice occurs in other, smaller companies and on a personal, consumer level with cell phones and other personal electronic devices. Turns out, after researching a bit, it happens a lot! According to the National Center for Electronics Recycling, Americans tossed out 2.25 million tons of electronics in 2007. Not necessarily surprising, but it certainly makes you think about where all those do-dads went. 82% went to landfills.

Sure, mankind needs to continue to develop technology in order to improve the efficiency of life and devalue the cerebral cortex, but how often do you and I really need to partake in the vicious cycle? Sometimes, I wish I was more technically proficient.  My computer is about 6 years old, I have a first-generation Zune that I bought used and my last TV was a nearly 20-year-old hand-me-down from my parents. I replaced it last year for no good reason besides wanting a different one. Whoops. In today’s Information Age, by my own estimation, I live in the dark ages a bit and have a hard time relating to the idea of keeping up with the Joneses. In a Frugally Green sense, here’s why:

It’s Expensive

Is it just me, or does the next generation of the item you just bought always seem to come out right after you bought it? Usually, the improvements between the latest updates are not significant enough to warrant purchasing again. If you’re like me, all your electronics are at least a few generations old and still have a number of features that you don’t particularly need. While I’m obviously not the most technologically savvy (just getting Frugally Green started was quite a task), I can’t believe that companies like Apple, Sony, Garmin, and others don’t offer consumer level leasing agreements for mp3 players, laptops, and GPS systems. If you’re the type that needs to be on the cutting edge, at least this would give you an easier out when the next best thing comes along.

It’s Unsustainable

Continually consuming new electronics for the sake of consuming new electronics is hard on our environment as it drives unnecessary demand for an unnecessary item. The amount of resources used to create these gadgets is quite staggering. The energy conserved indirectly by simply lowering the demand for these items would be astronomical, not to mention the direct reduction in the amount that ends up in landfills.

There’s good news though.  If you have to have that new gizmo and the one you’ve got is still technologically relevant, there are a number of resources for you to find it a new home, either with someone less technologically inclined, like me, on Craigslist (there’s one for nearly every major city in the world now) or eBay, and many major companies now offer a recycling program for their own legacy products.

Those of us that always seem to find ourselves with yesterday’s cell phone face another challenge when we’re ready to upgrade- nobody wants it. If you find yourself in this predicament, you’re going to have to work a bit harder to be environmentally responsible. Luckily for us, someone went to the trouble to create websites like myboneyard.com, which might give you some cash if they can use the device for something, and mygreenelectronics.org, which provides a searchable database of local electronics recyclers based on zip code. A quick search revealed that I have a Free Geek in my neighborhood. I like what they stand for, so I think I’ll take my next outdated item to them. Although, the idea of getting a little cash for it is tempting. For old cell phones, I suggest doing a search for a local woman’s  shelter. They’re often looking for emergency cell phones that they can give to their patrons.

What kind of electronics consumer are you? Always updating to the latest and greatest or delicately coaxing the last breath out of your dying gadget? Do you find yourself behaving similarly in other aspects of your life? Where can you improve?

Related posts:

1. I Am Responsible for the Corporate World’s Waste, or A Lesson in Micro Economics
2. How to Waste Time, Money, and Resources Building a Compost Tumbler, or a Lesson in Simplicity
3. 5 Green Living Tips to Fatten Your Wallet
4. How a Home Buyer Can Lower Their Carbon Footprint
5. Ten Advantages to Using Solar Energy

Tagged: alternative options, electronics, waste