Don’t add to Mount Trashmore!
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Easy and Eco-friendly ways to dump your out-dated electronics
By Claire Austin
Ok, so how many unused electronics have you got hanging around your house? It is estimated that there are 500 million used cell phones alone ready for disposal. Thrown away in conventional landfills, e-waste (such as computers, TVs and cell phones) can contaminate groundwater with mercury and other chemicals.
Recycle your used or broken electronics to make sure they end up with someone who needs them or as part of a new product and not on top of Mount Trashmore.
For Electronics that Still Work: Forget the RAZR, I’ve got a BlackBerry now!
One of the best things to do with your older gadgets when you get an upgrade is to donate them. Homeless shelters and other charities will take older cell phones (remember to include the chargers!) and computers to donate to the less fortunate. Some groups will even come pick them up.
Consider giving computers, printers and other larger electronics. You can call the Miami Dade County School Board’s department of technology education (305-995-1882) and Miami Dade County Public Library’s director’s office (305-375-5026) for more information. If you’re only looking to make a small donation it’s probably best just to speak to a teacher or librarian you know. The general trend is toward standardization of technology, but they may know a student or classroom that could use a computer.
A list of local organizations that accept old electronics is available at: www.mygreenelectronics.org.
Remember when you’re donating electronics to wipe your hard drive (after saving your information, of course) and clean your computer beforehand. There are instructions on how to wipe your hard drive here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpVh4nQDAD0
RECYCLING CENTERS
The City of Miami recommends dropping off your old electronics at one of the following trash and recycling centers, which are open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m:
North Dade21500 NW 47 Avenue
Palm Springs North
7870 NW 178 Street
West Little River
1830 NW 79 Street
Golden Glades
140 NW 160 Street
Sunset Kendall
8000 SW 107 Avenue
Eureka Drive
9401 SW 184 Street
West Perrine
16651 SW 107 Ave
Moody Drive
12970 SW 268 Street
Homestead Site (Homestead residents only)
548 S.E. 6 Avenue
Mail your cell phones to CALL TO PROTECT (2555 Bishop Circle, West
Dexter, MI 48130), which donates them to charities nationwide, or bring them to the Cingular Wireless at 9573 NW 41 Street in Miami or 333 41 Street in Miami Beach.
For Damaged Electronics: The question isn’t why you took your iPhone to the beach, it’s why you left it out next to the cooler.
Several organizations accept or collect electronics, from soaked and sand-filled mobile devices to computers that still run MS-DOS, to recycle the parts for newer products. And at the rate at which technology is becoming obsolete, you probably have a lot of unusable stuff lying around.
The City of Miami provides multiple electronics drop-off sites throughout Miami-Dade County (see sidebar). Coral Reef High School accepts old electronics to recycle as well.
There are also private groups on Web sites such as craigslist that will collect your gadgets. ERC (305-482-9100) will pick up electronics large and small, plus all of the 10,000 cables that go along with it. They charge $3/mile with a $50 minimum for pickups (the volume of junk you can give them to recycle isn’t limited by volume), and also operate three collection sites in Miami.
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CALL TO PROTECT
2555 Bishop Circle
West Dexter, MI 48130
My Green Electronics
Type your zip code in to www.mygreenelectronics.org for recycling centers in your city.
Electronic Recyclers International, Inc.
For locations across the U.S., visit www.electronicrecyclers.com