E-Waste

Eco

Which Tech Company Is the Most Environmentally Friendly?

Happy Earth Day, techies!

Happy Earth Day, techies! In honor of today's eco call to action, people around the world are celebrating our home planet and sharing all the ways we can keep it green for future generations. Gadgets aren't exactly the most eco-conscious products: they generate heat, consume energy, can't typically be manufactured locally, and are made of materials that are difficult to recycle or dispose of.

A few tech companies are doing what they can to make manufacturing operations — and the gadgets themselves — as green as possible. But which of these electronics conglomerates is Mother Nature's favorite?

Greenpeace's extensive Guide to Greener Electronics ranks companies on their Earth-friendly efforts, according to a rigorous set of criteria in three areas: energy and climate, greener products, and sustainable operations. After the break, take a guess at which tech company ranked highest on Greenpeace's list and see the correct answer (it may surprise you!).

Geek tips

How Do You Get Rid of Your Gadgets?

Technology improves so quickly these days that gadgets become obsolete within a year — or less.

Technology improves so quickly these days that gadgets become obsolete within a year — or less. But what happens to all of those unused devices? After all, you can only have so many paperweights. A new study found that 62 percent of Americans have changed PCs in the last three years, and one in three of those Americans dumped their PCs in garbage cans — which is no way to dispose of highly toxic e-waste. Resources to recycle, donate, or sell old electronics continue to grow and gain popularity every year.

What do you do with your old and outdated technology? Share with us where your phones, ereaders, tablets, digital cameras, and computers go once you're done with them.

News

Daily Tech: Circuit City Files For Bankruptcy

Not a happy day in Circuit City land.

  • Not a happy day in Circuit City land. Today the company petitioned for Chapter 11 protection as it struggles to survive with competing retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart. — Switched
  • Last night on 60 Minutes, correspondent Scott Pelley exposed the electronic waste black market between the US and China. — Boing Boing
  • Ozzy Osbourne has teamed up with Samsung Mobile to promote their latest cell phone, the Samsung Propel. — CrunchGear
  • This year on Black Friday, Dell will offer their Xbox 360 Arcade and Rock Band 2 for $199! — Engadget
  • What a chic-looking charger! The Uniross imagine POM is a universal battery charger that's shaped like a cute apple! — Unplggd

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earth day

Take Care Of Your E-Waste This Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, which means you should take the time to do a thorough E-waste spring cleaning!

Today is Earth Day, which means you should take the time to do a thorough E-waste spring cleaning! Did you know that every year more than 3.2 million tons of electronic waste is disposed in landfills? When computers, TVs and cell phones go to landfills, they can leak lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, selenium, chromium, and many other toxic materials into drinking water and have serious effects on our health. Thankfully companies like Sharp Electronics are celebrating Earth Day for the entire month of April. For all customers who buy a new Sharp LCD TV (measuring at least 37 inches), Sharp will recycle their old TV for free. When your new TV is delivered, the company will even pick up your old one. Do your part this Earth Day (and everyday) to preserve and conserve our planet. Below are some tips and suggestions to help you go gadget green this Earth Day!

  • Reuse and Recycle Your Gadgets Try re-using old computers and cell phones by giving them to a younger sibling or friend. You can even donate them to a local organization or a church or school. Do a bit of research and see if there is a recycling service in your community. If you exercise all of the options above and decide that you must dispose your electronics, make sure that you do not give anything to a recycler who ships waste overseas; as this just transfers the problem elsewhere.
  • Check out E-Waste Recycling Sites For more info, visit great NGO computer donation and recycling sites like: Used Computer, Share Technology and Earth 911

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