Paper waste vs e-waste
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As I'm in the printer & toner business (disclaimer) and have been into conservation since I was a Boy Scout in the 1800s, I tend to be tuned in to comments about eliminating printing and "saving the environment."
Taking an informal poll:
Do you think using paper or using equipment such as printers, fax machines and desktop copiers potentially do greater damage to the environment? If recycling one group or the other were emphasized, which would you choose?
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Hi David,
Not sure I have an answer to your question but wanted to share a few ideas I use as I, like you, have recycled before it became the "in" thing to do and before it was at my curb.
I re-use printer paper by using both sides. 90% of the time, whatever I am printing is a draft of nfo for my own use. I have a stack of paper that has already been printed on one side, and I just flip it over to use the other side. Then when I am done with it, I recycle the paper. If its a more formal document, then I use clean new paper.
As for the ink. I print almost everything in "draft" form. In fact my printer defaults to draft so to print in normal mode which uses more ink and takes longer, I actually have to go in and change it before I print. Again 95% of the time the draft mode is sufficient for my use unless I have alot of color on the page. I also refill my cartridges though I don't know if from a use perspective this is worthwhile as it seems that the refills don't last as long as the new ones. At lease I am not creating more empty cartridges.
I do have a color printer that is older than my 7 year old daughter so its lived longer than expected. Oh, yes I would love a new printer - wireless, scanner, printer, copier, fax, clean, sharp, but for what I do, I can't seem to justify it. My antiquated relic serves my needs and I don't feel compelled to "keep up with the Jones'".
Last summer, I purchased a laptop and although its wireless, the printer is not. I noticed that since I do not use the laptop in the same location (the laptop being mobile and the printer still with the desktop) as the printer, I print a lot less than I did as its now an extra effort.
Regarding the equipment itself. I wish all of it could be easily recycled. I don't like to trash any electronics or appliances, small or large. Isn't there a way it can be used differently or the parts recycled for toys? Let me know if there is someplace I can take this stuff and I will.
Good luck with the poll!
Terri David
www.natural-cure-alternatives.com/mcc
If you live in a SOCRRA (Southeastern Michigan Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority) community -- check www.socrra.org -- you can take your used electronics to their Drop Off facility. They recycle all of the metal parts. If you do live in a SOCRRA community and want to learn more about what can and cannot be recycled, you can come see the staff of SOCRRA (and me) at this free recycling workshop:
FREE RECYCLING WORKSHOP
hosted by SOCRRA and the Berkley Environmental Advisory Committee
Berkley Public Library, 3155 Coolidge
Monday, March 9 from 6 to 7:30 pm
I dont have number to say which waste is more harmful than the other. I'd agree with you and say "lets recycle them all".
But one additional thought about recycling the waste parts that affects environment is, in case of paper we also should consider the number of trees and other natural inputs that affect environment. In case of plastic / e manufacturing process I am sure there are some natural resources used but comparatively I think they can use more artificial / chemical based inputs.
Henry Joshua
.DotSign
Creative.Compelling. Cutting Edge
www.dot-sign.com
Lisa,
Thanks for the recycling info, but I live in Macomb county and SORCCA requires your drivers license as proof of residence. What a great program though!
TD!
Bit of a trick question, actually, just to provoke some thought and hopefully discussion. Slogans about paper are everywhere, killing the paper trail doesn't inconvenience us. The electronics industry has hoodwinked us into focusing on paper and recycling a little bit of the e-waste we generate while it multiplies its growth a hundred-fold.
My thoughts concerning printers, fax machines and copiers is for us to take a deep breath and grab the HP/Dell/Brother whirlwind of shorter life cycle and blow it backwards to the pace of the 80s. Push the cycle back to when laser printers were a disruptive technology so to be adopted they had to be designed to last a long time, instead of be the ephemeral gadget they are designed to be today - even if they are recycled, it is still trashing. HP 2200s work great today - and they are cheap.
I don't have a Hi-Def TV either, I'm just a thrifty (cheap) New Englander. And with Brady hurt, didn't really see a need. ;-)
Paper vs. E-Waste? Or,
Waste vs. Economics?
Regardless of the
material, paper, plastic, glass or the opportunity to reclaim precious metals
used in some of today’s electronics, recycling 1-ton of consumer waste uses
significantly less energy and natural resources than it does to produce the
same amount of new product from raw materials. Recycling also creates up to 10 jobs
per every ton of recycled waste, versus only 1 job for same ton tipped in a
landfill or incinerator.
While it’s not illegal in
Michigan (or 45 other states) to leave your old computer or TV curbside on
trash day, that doesn’t mean we should. Most of these products, especially
older analog TV sets and CRT monitors, contain a host of hazardous toxic
chemicals that can leach into water supplies when not disposed of properly. In
addition, electronics often contain precious metals, including gold that
can be reclaimed for reuse instead of buried at the bottom of a landfill. Exact
estimates on the $$ value of these metals vary but the number is significant,
even in a down commodity market.
Last fall I had the
pleasure of working with Linda McFarland, CEO of Classic Computer Recovery
(CCR) in Garden City, Michigan. CCR is a responsible environmental steward
creating “green” jobs in our communities. They have been featured in The
Detroit Free Press, The Macomb Daily, The Detroit News, NPR News radio and on
Channel 7 News as a "Green Team" recycling partner. They are also
responsible for SOCRRA’s electronic recycling program and operate six other
permanent e-waste drop-off facilities in three states.
CCR has launched a new
community-recycling program called TV Take Back (tvtakeback.com). In
partnership with local school districts, municipal departments and non-profit
organizations, the company has successfully piloted 12 FREE Community E-waste
Collection Events here in Michigan. Plans are to expand the program to a
17-state region over the next year. Classic Computer Recovery is also actively
spearheading initiatives to make e-waste recycling a more convenient option by
encouraging state and local governments to create Permanent Drop-Off locations
in each and every county.
For more information about
the TV Take Back program, including some very enlightening facts and figures on
e-waste hazards and the economics of recycling, visit www.tvtakeback.com
CCR’s program has been
scaled back due to winter weather conditions in the Midwest, but new collection
dates and locations will be added later this month so check back often to find
an event in your community. If you or some one you know might be interested in
sponsoring an event, or becoming a site host in your community, please pass
along the info.
Other eco-friendly
resources you might check are earth911.com, this site lists locations and
programs for recycling just about everything that can be recycled. At
mygreenelectronics.org visitors can locate other e-waste recycling programs
that may be available in your community.
One a final note, and
perhaps the most important thing to remember as we contemplate our individual
carbon footprint, e-waste is the fastest growing sector of the global waste stream. Given the option of recycling most consumers want to do the
right thing and most will participate if the infrastructure is available and accessible. However, until there is a federal mandate governing the proper
disposal of any potentially hazardous material than the entire e-waste
recycling industry is left to police themselves, guided only by their own moral
compass.