Green Planet Episode 6: E-Waste: Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle

This is an excellent piece - it has really made me think about how many mobile phones and chargers i have lying around my house. I also have old laptops and printers does anyone know where i can send these in the UK for a similar scheme?

Thanks SJ! You can visit http://tinyurl.com/qpkbdt for information about local electronic recycling centres in the UK. Remember to check that anyone that takes your e-waste off your hands is WEEE compliant! This will ensure that they are regulated by government and the waste will be disposed of in the correct manner.

HAPPY WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!!!! Perfect timing for Green Planet Episode 6!

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Great job Natalie pulling this piece together---Nice to see many of the segments we filmed together used. I just wanted to point out two things to add to this segment.

1) actually a lot of the refurbishment done at Steve Wyatt's centre goes to schools, churches, and other local not profits that benefit from refurbished computers. It is amazing what that centre does and with volunteer help too.

Developing countries do not like to be at the receiving end of hand-me-downs, especially something that potentially will be e-waste soon and this segment makes it sound that all refurbishment goes to developing countries only. I just thought it was important to add this as it was useful to see how much demand in developed nations too there is for refurbished products. Besides makes more environmental sense NOT to waste more fuel exporting them externally anyway.

What was also interesting from what Steve Wyatt and Jim Lynch had to say was that in electronics more energy goes into production than in consumption. Recycle takes a lot of energy too, so it may be better to think of refurbishment and also to design from cradle to grave or even better cradle to cradle (design for the environment).

2) other component--great to add how more manufacturers are taking toxic materials out of newer generation product so products are less damaging in the future. Also some are even using materials such as bamboos in desktop computer covers, or recycled plastic bottles. You have this covered in an earlier episode and just thought would be nice to underscore this to see if we are making progress.

Having said that- hope people get the message of the need to recycle or properly dispose of their mobile phones, computers, printers, cartridges, and all other e-waste. Time everyone does their part for the environment. A 2% recycle rate is very appalling indeed!!

(PS Sarah- check with your handset manufacturer if they have takeback programs. See this interesting article about GreenPeace on recycling in the Uk at http://news.softpedia.com/news/Greenpeace-Exposes-E-Waste-Recycling-Scandal-105055.shtml)