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Recycling, Storage & Disposal
Recycling Cell Phones
A recent New York Times story detailed new options for recycling your obsolete cell phone -- and turning it into cash: "RipMobile is one of many companies willing to pay in cash or merchandise for old cellphones. Prices vary depending on the phone's continued utility and the demand for it; some can be worth $100 or more. Popular Motorola and Nokia phones will typically bring $2 to $20; the hottest models, like Motorola's Moto Razr V3, seem to fetch the most. Instead of dollars, RipMobile gives points that can be converted to gift certificates at Circuit City, MSN Music, KarmaLoop (for clothing) and RingToneJukeBox.com (ring tones, games and screen savers for cellphones).... Even if cellphones sent in are not worth reselling, precious metals like gold from their circuit boards can be extracted and reused, said Rob Newton, president of OldCellPhone. And by keeping used phones out of landfills, these potential money-making opportunities can also help the environment."
The recycling and re-use sites the Times mentioned include RipMobile, www.cellforcash.com, www.oldcellphone.com, and www.phonefund.com.
Posted by GreenClean at 05:13 PM
Computer Recycling Update
Some of the most difficult household products to recycle -- or even dispose of -- are electronics. Computers contain hundreds of different materials -- a few of them hazardous, and many of them recyclable. Green Clean details a few options for dealing with obsolete computers. Some compute makers, including Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM can recycle your machine, though some do so only when you buy a new one. GreenDisk is one independent company that accepts obsolete equipment.
The latest computer-recycling news comes from the State of Maryland. The Washington Post reports, "Starting next year, computer makers that want to do business in Maryland must kick in up to $5,000 annually to help recycle their products under a new state law designed to cope with the roughly 60,000 tons of "electronic waste" that pile up in Maryland each year.
The law, signed last month by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), affects only makers of desktop and laptop computers, including monitors, but it hints at expanding to include television sets in the near future.
Some of the country's largest computer makers helped shape the legislation and gave it the final nod, though many did so grudgingly. At least one of them, Hewlett-Packard Co., which has 20 percent of the U.S. market, has not decided if it will pass the cost on to consumers."
Posted by GreenClean at 04:33 PM
Storage & Disposal
The average American home has some hundred pounds of hazardous household products stored in its basement, garage, storage shed, and closets. The first line of defense against hazardous household waste is to avoid using harmful chemicals in the first place. But be especially vigilant about these proudcts, the most common hazardous products around the house:
Automotive products: Gasoline, motor oil, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, car wax and cleaners, lead-acid batteries, brake fluid, transmission fluid
Home improvement products: Paint, varnish, stain, paint thinner, paint stripper, caulk, adhesives
Household cleaners: drain opener, oven cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, spot remover, bleach, ammonia, furniture polish and wax
Other products: Batteries, nail polish, pool chemicals, shoe polish, lighter fluid, prescription medicines, some arts and crafts materials, some personal care products
Pesticides: Insecticide and insect repellent, weed killer, rat and mouse poison, pet spray and dip, flea collars, moth balls, disinfectant, wood preservative
Posted by GreenClean at 12:19 PM