With all the new products and technology upgrades available on a daily basis, our current devices often become outdated quickly — however, that doesn't necessarily mean they are trash. And if being green is an important part of your office culture, finding solutions outside of the landfill will be particularly important.
If you're looking for ways to keep your outdated technology out of the trash, here are 5 relatively GREEN ideas to get you thinking.
1. Resell:
Sometimes you can sell items back to the store (I've done this with Apple products before), other times you can simply list them on Craigslist, Ebay, or even a Facebook garage sale.
You'd be amazing how much people might be willing to pay for your gently used technology — and if the device is a little more out-of-date, list it for a really cheap price and make someone else's day!
2. Refill & Recharge:
Printer ink cartridges are quite expensive — so why not save a bunch of money (and trash) by purchasing refillable ink cartridges?
Also, as you're shopping for new technology, look for devices with rechargeable batteries built in to eliminate extra batteries in landfills. Almost everything we've purchased lately (including a baby monitor) has a built-in rechargeable battery — which means less hassle for us and less waste for the environment.
3. Repurpose:
Do you have a child who has been begging you for a cell phone, iPad, or MP3 player for months? Consider passing down your old device to them when you're ready to upgrade. Not only is this easier and less time-consuming than trying to sell that item, it's also less "risky" in case your kids tend to be a little clumsy.
Even if your devices are no longer working, I'm certain there are plenty of toddlers who would love to tote around an old cell phone just to press the buttons (yes, I know this from experience!)
4. Restore:
Did you know that you can often donate barely-working (or sometimes even non-working) items to specific donation places or thrift stores and they'll fix them up and restore them to sell at a deeply discounted rate?
We have a couple non-profit organizations around us that specialize in fixing up old, outdated electronics and either giving them away or selling them at a massive discount to those who might not be able to afford anything else.
Not only does this help clear some of that technology clutter from your home (an keep it out of the landfills) it's also helping a whole bunch of people in need!
5. Recycle
If all other options fail, I use recycling as a last resort. Many major retail box stores have recycling centers for outdated technology (think Target, Best Buy, Staples, etc.)
Also, I know many work places and community programs that offer free quarterly eWaste recycling programs and actually have an eWaste company come in on a certain day or week to remove (and properly dispose of) any eWaste. All you have to do is bring your cast-offs and load them on the truck!
As you start thinking about spring cleaning, take a second (or third) look at all your extra cords, cables, chargers, phones, tablets, computers, printers, hard drives, memory cards, MP3 players, or any other outdated technology items and consider one of these options.
It's amazing what types of outdated technology you'll probably find — and it might also be amazing how much of it you can turn into cold hard cash!
What are your best tips for dealing with outdated technology?