Think Globally Act Locally | The Power Of R

I was upgrading all my computer bits the other day and got really down about the amount of electronic waste (e-waste) that I was creating. I posted something like 'upgrading my computer and creating enough e-waste to build a sailboat' on my Facebook account. To cool off my guilt I decided to take a walk with my family. A few blocks from my house, on a guys lawn, I saw an old Apple computer, a television and a blown-out stereo system. The items were free for the taking... and no one took them.

Even though the TV was free and worked perfectly - no one wanted it because it wasn't a 60" flat screen. The computer works but unless you live in Y2K (the year 2000) it's not even worth hitting the 'on button'. The computer parts I replaced on my computer were only five years old that day and even though they were the best parts you could buy five years ago, they definitely aren't cutting the mustard in 2010. Not if I want to stay in business.

Time is money  and our media tells us that "he who has the most toys wins."  Our combined obsession with consuming technology stems from staying ahead of the rest of the consumers out there. You can relate to this I'm sure. You need the latest cell phone to text faster and update your FB profile more regularly, or take pictures of everything (including junk on the side of the road), or how about a new ipod, or bike or video game system to out do your friends or create a better opportunity for yourself to buy some, friends that is? Do we buy this stuff to say to our friends "hey look at this cool new trinket" or do we buy this stuff to rub it in our friend's faces? "Haha wouldn't you love to be me right now," we secretly say. That is essentially it, right? Maybe I'm looking into this too deeply but I believe there is some truth to this mentality and it's filling up our landfills with electronics as a result.

Comox Valley Waste Management handles over 100,000 tons of waste every year and I have seen, with my own eyes,  television sets getting dumped directly into the landfill. That happens because some people couldn't be bothered to take it to a Encorp Return-It Depot or their local television supplier for recycling. By throwing a television into the landfill (of which there are thousands) we are exposing the earth to poisons in high concentrations. Monitors are full of lead. Lead can cause cancer in animals and in humans when it's mixed with ground water and consumed.

So here's the thing. We are going to be consuming in the future but now is the time to start thinking about how to minimize our consumption. The second priority that needs to be addressed is cradle to grave corporate responsibility for the products we buy. That means when we buy a product - an ethical disposal plan for that product is already in place. Whomever sells the product is responsible for it's earth friendly and sustainable disposal, reuse or recycling. Corporations would be freaking out and developing smaller, safer and more earth friendly products as a result. Selling a carcinogen (cancer causing material) like lead in a product would be too expensive to dispose of so manufactures wouldn't use it, period.

Some examples of this type of system are already in play. When you buy a new computer you pay a disposal tax. However, people still throw electronics in the landfill anyway. We need another law that says throwing away toxic hardware is illegal, or better yet, we just need more collective common sense.

Here is a link to your local Encorp Return-It Depot. Please take your e-waste/electronics there for proper disposal and recycling. :)

In Campbell River visit 1580-F Willow Street to recycle your electronics

In the Comox Valley visit 1255 McPhee Ave. to recycle your electronics