I will be writing quite a bit in the near future about our ‘throw-away’ society and the impact this is having on our planet. Today I want to talk about the overwhelming amount of electronic waste we produce. Every single computer, TV, VHS player, DVD player, cell phone, PDA, smart-phone – well, every gadget that has ever been produced, will one day end up in a landfill of some sort. Whether it is in one year, two years, five years or fifteen years the outcome is still the same – the product becomes broken or obsolete and it is tossed. Did you notice how I said ‘fifteen years’ in the last sentence, that was for effect, most devices are lucky to last 5 years. How long do you think you shinny new smart-phone will be in your pocket?
Now I can go on in more detail about the toxic legacy these gadgets carry with them; how they harm the workers who make them, how they emit toxins while you use them and how they pollute our ground, water and air when we are done with them, but here is a short video that explains it best. The Story of Stuff Project has created a series of videos, explaining simply and clearly, where our stuff comes from, where it goes when we are done with it, and the impacts of our stuff on not only us but our environment. Here is one of their latest videos: The Story of Electronics: