Electronics Recycling: How to, Tips and Benefits

Electronics Recycling: How to, Tips and Benefits

These days, there are more electronic devices than ever. In the current state of the digital age, consumers are purchasing more gadgets and striving for the latest and greatest in terms of advancements in technology. With that being said, many people are disposing of their older electronics to make way for the new devices. Unfortunately, not everyone deals with their old electronics in a proper manner. Too many individuals simply toss their devices into the trash, where they eventually end up in a landfill, which harms the environment as the substances they contain leak into the earth and can leach into water supplies. Recycling is the correct way to dispose of all unwanted electronics. It is an important practice that can greatly benefit the environment and all life.

Be Smart with Electronics

Electronics recycling is a smart and safe practice that is the law in just about any area in the country and abroad. Many stores have designated areas where consumers can bring in their old devices, be it a laptop computer, cell phone, CD or DVD player, old video game console or any number of additional gadgets so they can be recycled. Many of the substances that go into the makeup of these items can harm the environment as they are toxic. Substances such as lead, cadmium and mercury are examples of items that should never, ever be put into the trash with the garbage.

Renewable Resources

Many of the materials used to make up electronic devices can actually be reused as they are renewable. Certain parts from old electronics, such as glass, steel and some plastics are re-used in the manufacture of new devices, which helps to conserve certain very valuable substances and natural resources.

Support for the Community

Another benefit of electronics recycling is that the practice can support the community. Many old electronic devices, such as computers and cell phones are donated to individuals who are needy and could otherwise not afford such items. Various groups exist in many communities and often at neighborhood libraries that offer this service. Goodwill and the Salvation Army are nonprofit organizations that gladly accept old electronics so that they can benefit people who are economically disadvantaged.

Reusing Old Electronics

In some instances, electronic devices can be recycled in a completely different way by their owners. For instance, a person who owns a computer that is not very old can very likely upgrade it to a newer operating system if possible. This can get a few more years of usage out of the machine and therefore is a green method. Similarly, someone who has purchased a new computer, smartphone or iPod or other mp3 player can dispose of their old devices by locating a person who is willing to take them off their hands. One of the ways to do this is to sell these items on websites such as Amazon, Craigslist or eBay. As there are individuals who are always willing to purchase older electronics that are in acceptable to good condition, this is a great way to make some money and be environmentally friendly and responsible at the same time.

home-office-computer-management-tips

Does your home office have various cords and plugs and gadgets scattered around, laying on shelves, in the bottom of boxes, and at the back of a drawer? You find random USB cords that you *think* came with your digital camera, but you’re not really sure… Hmmmm.

Solve this chaos by designating one spot for all cords. Go to any Walmart to the plastic bin section and purchase a $15 3-drawer tabletop plastic chest. Also buy a pack of file folder labels. Go back home and treasure hunt for all your random cords, gather them around you and sit down on the living room floor and get organized.

1st: Label the drawers something like this…

– USB Cables and Miscellaneous Accessories

– Old cell phones and chargers

– A/V cables, Printer and Monitor Cables

2nd: Label the cords

– Write the cord’s name on a file folder label, then use it to tag the cord.

– Use rubber bands or bread bag ties to keep them from sprawling out of control.

In fact, I even tag all the cords plugged into power strips. You will eventually have to unplug one of them, so isn’t it smart to know which one you are pulling? Yes!

3rd: Put them into their designated drawers, properly labeled and the last and most important part of this project…..

Tell Your Family!!! Announce the new system!!! They will soon come to appreciate that one spot and no more frustration finding cords.

Computer Gadgets Worth Having

There are just some things in my home office that I can’t live without. I highly recommend these simple and inexpensive items so your computing time is streamlined. I buy as much of my stuff online at Newegg’s Electronic Store as possible, but I also take a look at clearance tables at my local office supply stores.

I use a laptop, so a laptop stand recovers desktop space and I store my notepads and post-its under my laptop. I use the ALLSOP stand from Office Max. I also have only 3 USB ports on my laptop, but about 8 USB items to plug in. So a USB Hub is vital to keep me running efficiently. The Kikkerland Hub Man is awesome and entertaining. I LOVE IT. I use a variety of color coded USB Flash drives. These are very inexpensive and get better/bigger all the time. A second monitor keeps my email on one screen and my active project on the other. A very efficient setup, but not necessarily a cheap addition.

New vs Old

This is an important topic; have you seen the price of computers? They’re incredibly low! Buying a new computer isn’t such a bad idea.

But it’s a hassle to buy a new one. All that time to transfer files, install software, the expense of buying software you already have on your old computer, and the list goes on.

Instead of buying a new computer, I’m going to upgrade the one I’ve got this week. Just one easy click into The Crucial System Scanner takes the guesswork out of upgrading your memory. (By the way, the Crucial Memory company was started in Boise, Idaho.) It’s going to cost me $58 to double my RAM, speed up my Window’s delay and web page loading. That’s a lot cheaper than $800 (+ tax and setup time) for a new computer.

When the memory sticks arrive, you will get a set of instructions on how to install them. (Involves removing a side panel on a PC and a bottom panel on a laptop. Fairly harmless. I’ve done it multiple times and have survived it.) *smile* I MEAN IT!!

I’m Andy Lanning from Boise, Idaho and I teach people how to use computers.

Excel Certified Expert
Word Certified Expert
20+ years computer use
15 years instructing at local college and businesses

I’m strictly a laptop owner (2) and 1 amazing Mac. My vices: I’m an Excel junkie and an Email addict. There must be a support group out there for this…

6-smart-phone-tips-to-enhance-your-business

If you are one of those busy executives that find juggling work and life difficult, a smart phone can come to your rescue. It is one of the blessed gadgets ever invented for business professionals who find 24 hours too short for an entire day. Hence, many of them prefer using their idle time to catch up with their pending work while they travel to work and back, or even socialize a bit in the middle of a busy day to catch up with their personal life. Therefore, a smart phone is not just a companion for many, but a virtual life-support they cannot live without. Let`s take a look how a smart phone can help you manage different things simultaneously.

Email sending – In fast paced life we live today, communication means everything. But, when it comes to business communication, a smart phone does more than just good to many business professionals. Most smart phones are equipped with `Push Email` feature that makes emailing a breeze and therefore, helps people communicate much more frequently with their superiors, subordinates, bosses and clients alike. Hence, this popular gadget has improved the efficiency of many professionals who are pitted against the hectic earlier, offering cellular communication a whole new meaning.

Office on the go – Thanks to the smart phone device, millions of executives around the world can now prepare their power-point presentation while traveling to work. With innovating mobile office features, catching up with their spreadsheet, and preparing other documents on the go, is a reality now.

Video calling – Some smart phones are fully 3G enabled, which means they have a front camera to facilitate video calling. This feature is very useful for those who need to hold important meetings with their clients or customers but cannot do the same physically. Video calling helps business professionals save critical time for executing important assignments.

Blogging – Smart phones have qwerty keypad facility which is highly ergonomic and much better than most keypads of traditional cell phones. Apart form sending quick text messages, they help you blog and tweet at your whims and fancy. This is a great advantage for many busy professionals who do not find time for updating their blogs on a regular basis. With the smart phones enabling you to take pictures, emailing and uploading them to your blog posts, online bogging has now got a new definition.

Social Networking – This is probably one of the smartest things that smart phones have done to the corporate world. Today`s businesses have a high degree of dependence on online social networking. With smart phones, business executives can now connect to their contacts via social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Being in touch with people within your network and expanding business contacts with people holds the key to a successful business expansion. With this new gadget, online social networking has become far too easy for anyone.

Picturing capturing – No! We are not talking about taking pictures of your family, friends or colleagues at a weekend cocktail party. The all new smart phones help you take pictures and use them for much better purposes than ever before. Assuming that you are a bibliophile and have an account online public library, you can whip out your smart phone and take a picture of the cover and then log in your online public library website and search for the same book to read.

There are more to making calls when it comes to the widespread applications of smart phones. It is no wonder why so many business people now carry one of these smart cellular phones and consider them as one of the must have business tools.

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