Articles about Recycling

Earth Day is tomorrow, and it is a time to reflect on how we treat the planet we all share (until Elon Musk colonizes Mars, at least). While some people mark the day by picking up trash or planting a tree, there’s another simple yet powerful way to help the environment that you might not have considered -- install Linux on your aging computer instead of tossing it in the trash!

Old computers don’t have to die. In fact, most of them still have plenty of life left in them -- if you’re willing to ditch bloated operating systems that no longer support them. That’s where Linux comes in. Unlike Windows 11, which demands modern processors and fairly high-end specs just to boot, many Linux distributions run smoothly on older hardware. Whether it’s a decade-old laptop collecting dust or a desktop with a failed Windows installation, Linux can breathe new life into machines that would otherwise end up in landfills.

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Mountains of e-waste, increasingly scarce resources, and volatile supply chains; these are just three of the reasons that the technology industry should be re-considering its current model of 'take, make and replace'. We’ve seen across other industries, such as fashion, that the cost-of-living crisis and increasingly eco-conscious consumers have led to the second-hand market becoming a lucrative business.

Through holding onto stigmas around the quality and performance of second-hand tech, we continue to purchase brand new despite the negative impact this is having on our planet. So, what needs to be done to see similar change across the tech industry?

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If you are into protecting the environment. you must check out the new USB-A flash drive from TEAMGROUP. Called "C175 ECO," this drive is designed with sustainability in mind. Technically, it seems to have the same internals as the company's existing C175 (non-ECO), but with an eco-friendly green body instead of a black one. It even features the same cool concealed storage clip that prevents cap loss.

The C175 is crafted from 75 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics, effectively reducing carbon emissions by an impressive 69 percent. Despite its smaller carbon footprint, it doesn't compromise on durability. Believe it or not, purchasing just 100,000 of these flash drives is equivalent to saving around 203,000 sheets of A4 paper or eliminating the need for 9,200 PET water bottles (600ml).

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A record 59.1 million tonnes (53.6 million tons) of e-waste was generated by homes and businesses in 2019, but only 17.4 percent of it was correctly recycled, the rest ending up in landfill or other disposal routes.

With the amount of e-waste expected to grow further, it's still the case that many people simply don't know where or how to properly recycle their obsolete devices.

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Would you rather have a computer mouse that is ergonomically correct or one that is good for the Earth? If you are like me, that is a very hard question to answer. Thankfully a new mouse from Logitech addresses both issues -- it is designed for both a healthy wrist and planet!

Called "Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse," it is available in two models -- one for right-handed users and one for lefties. The right-handed version of the wireless optical mouse can be had in your choice of three colors -- graphite (black), rose (pink), and off-white, while the lefty variant is limited to graphite. The mouse is partially made of post-consumer recycled plastic, the percentage of which varies by color.

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I’ve bought quite a few Raspberry Pi over the years, upgrading each time a new model comes out. While I still use my Raspberry Pi 4 regularly, the older models are just gathering dust somewhere in the house.

OKdo has come up with a solution to this waste, partnering with Raspberry Pi and the Sony Technology Center to create OKdo Renew, an official scheme to renew old Raspberry Pi boards, and it's offering a financial incentive to get people to make use of it.

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The tech industry holds the trump card when it comes to innovation surrounding recycling -- considering they are, in fact, the innovators. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious and the EU sets targets to make all plastic packaging recyclable waby 2030, businesses across the globe are looking for innovative ways to reduce their own waste through the production process and have a more circular economic approach.

As the tech industry strives to become a role model for recycling, we discuss the approaches some tech companies have taken and the benefits of taking recycling seriously.  

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