Technotrash refers to the huge amount of e-waste like clunky desktop computers, printers, scanners, cables etc. What do you do with it? Don’t send it to Africa or Asia, that’s what. These continents don’t want all our rubbish. Ghana’s main ‘digital dumping ground’ at Agbogbloshie is where most of the world’s e-waste ‘goes to die’. Yet melting parts down to sell copper and metals results in toxic waste and fumes (even the food there is now contaminated by fumes from melted electronics). Also read how to simplify your computer and how to clean and speed up your laptop.
Recable (Germany) offers a sustainable cable which is fairly-made and fast-charges with your phone. You can repair 90% of parts, and they donate a day’s worth of food to wild birds, for each sold. Held together with a grass paper belly band and printed with eco inks, made with green electricity, and shipped in a cardboard box.
The Restart Project holds regional ‘repair parties’ to teach people how to repair broken electronics, and rethink how to consume them in the first place. The UK is the world’s second-highest producer of e-waste per person, with appliance failure rates growing.
You can donate unwanted computers to charities (business can recycle at Weee Charity). Order a Terracycle Box (there is a one-off charge to collect and recycle a whole community’s e-waste in one go). Learn how to wipe clean your hard drive (for security bank details etc). Donate ink cartridges (money goes to the small charity of your choice).
