Cut back on E-waste by Extending the life of your Electronics

Let’s face it, some things just aren’t made like they used to be. I remember growing up in the 80’s and early 90’s my parents had the same television and vacuum cleaner throughout my childhood.  I think our TV lasted a good 20 years before it “burned out”. And that vacuum cleaner? It was seemingly indestructible and I believe is still in working condition after all these years. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the same luck and have personally bought three vacuum cleaners in a three year period. Why?  Well, they break down so easily these days with their cheap plastic parts that it seems like replacing the vacuum altogether is a better and cheaper option. But is this really the case? I feel guilty saying it, but nearly each time I had to deal with a broken vacuum cleaner, I just chucked it in the dumpster at my apartment and went out and dropped another $75-100 on a new one. Just recently, bad luck struck again when I sucked up a shoe lace and burned out the belt as well as the plastic roller on my latest vacuum. But this time I decided that after everything I’ve learned about e-waste (the old electronic items we dispose of like cell phones, computers, televisions, vacuum cleaners, and microwaves) and its effects on the environment, instead of letting this vacuum end up in a landfill like all the others, I would try to extend its life. Little did I know, to fix the broken vacuum was actually cheaper than buying another one brand new. And to top it off, the repair shop I went to cleaned it up too, free of charge.

Would it have been easier to throw yet another vacuum in the dumpster and buy a new one?  Maybe, yes.  But feeling like I did my part to keep a piece of e-waste out of a landfill was worth the trouble of getting the vacuum repaired. No, they don’t make things like they used to. In fact, they seem to make many electronic items to break easily so you have to go buy the next latest, greatest, new product to keep manufacturers of vacuums and TVs in business. But instead of disposing of these items when they break, go the extra mile and see about getting them repaired.  You may not only save yourself money, but you’ll also extend the life of an item and keep it from ending up in the landfill before its time.

Check out this website to learn more about ways you can help with the electronics waste crisis:

http://www.greencitizen.com/the-electronic-waste-crisis/