With the digital age in full swing, many of us have more gadgets than we know what to do with. This is particularly true of teenagers and college students, who spend a good portion of their class and leisure time alternating between various screens. While this level of tech-savviness has a number of advantages, it can also result in kids quickly growing bored with their current phones, tablets and other devices and wanting to upgrade them on a consistent basis, leading to the creation of e-waste. Instead of tossing unwanted electronics out with regular garbage, there are more practical – and environmentally-conscious – options for students to consider.  

School Donations

Many schools are always accepting electronics donations. So, if your students have any old computers, tablets or smartphones that have just been collecting dust, consider encouraging them to donate them to a school in need. Laptops for schools are particularly coveted items. Conversely, if your school has an immediate need for second-hand electronics, spread the word throughout your class. This is one of the best ways for students to ensure that their old gadgets don’t go to waste. Just make sure that any donated electronics are in working condition. If a device is unable to operate reliably, it’s of little use to anyone. With that in mind, specify that any electronics your students donate be fully operational. Your students should also take care to scrub any and all personal information from the devices they donate. 

Fundraisers

There’s a rapidly growing market for secondhand electronics. Consumers who aren’t obsessed with having the latest devices are perfectly fine with purchasing gadgets that more tech-savvy individuals would regard as outdated. So, if you’re looking for a great way to raise money for the school and/or a charitable cause, encourage your students to donate any unwanted gadgets they’re fine with selling. Furthermore, make sure to talk this plan over with parents and confirm that they’re okay with their children getting rid of electronics that they most likely paid for.    

E-Waste Recycling Centers

If e-waste is broken to the point of being unsalvageable, it should be taken to the nearest e-waste recycling center. Since these facilities aren’t quite as common as one might think in certain areas, you’ll probably need to go online to find the closest one. As the name suggests, e-waste recycling centers specialize in recycling various components of broken and discarded electronics. Before making the journey to your nearest center, look up its hours of operation and confirm that you don’t need to schedule a drop-off appointment. Any devices your students donate that no longer work should be taken to one of these facilities.

If your area doesn’t have its own e-waste recycling center, you may not be out of luck. Best Buy offers e-waste recycling services at most of its stores, although as is the case at most recycling facilities, there are certain rules you’ll need to  follow. For instance, they will not accept more than three items per household per day, and depending on the type of item, this figure may be reduced. Additionally, only some items can be recycled for free, whereas others require a fee. The rules concerning certain items vary by state, so make a point of calling the store or consulting their website before bringing anything in.  

Trade-In Programs

To help reduce e-waste, a number of electronics companies take people’s old devices off their hands whenever they decide to upgrade. For example, when purchasing the latest model of your preferred smartphone, you may receive a discount by trading in the previous model. Unless you have an immediate need for a second phone, there’s no sense in hanging onto a model you intend to upgrade. Supporting companies that offer these programs can be a great way to do your part against e-waste buildup.

As e-waste becomes an increasingly prevalent problem in many parts of the world, it is incumbent on both students and educators to do their part to minimize it. In addition to being outright wasteful, disposing of e-waste like regular garbage is bad for the environment and can exponentially increase the size of one’s carbon footprint. Fortunately, proper e-waste disposal is neither difficult nor time-consuming, and any student with a sizable collection of unwanted and/or outdated gadgets can benefit from the measures discussed above.