I recently had a hand blender and a taco press give up the ghost. My first thought was, what do I do with them? Do they just go in the trash or can they somehow be recycled? The second thought was that they only lasted five years give or take. While I thought this was short life span, in the technology world, this is an eternity.

 

According to the EPA, the average life of a cell phone is 18 months. Computers are too “outdated” after three to five years. These old computers and monitors contain mercury , lead and brominated flame retardants. The Department of Environmental Quality measures the average 17 in. monitor to contain 2.2 lbs of lead, which over time will leach into the ground water. Older batteries also used mercury and newer ones contain nickel and cadmium.  All of these heavy metals are harmful to the environment and harmful to people if they get back into our food or water cycles.  Fortunately, unlike my kitchen equipment, there are alternative methods of disposing of technology.

 

Organizations are available to help the environmentally conscious dispose of their equipment in nature friendly methods. The EPA provides a list of resources, such as Earth 911, that can connect you with recyclers or organizations that will accept donations.