How To Use Technology In An Eco-Friendly Way

It’s fairly obvious that technology can be used to make our lives better.

After all, with computers and mobile devices you can access almost any information

you need within seconds.

It’s now easy to figure out how to navigate through the streets of a city you’re just driving

into, how long to bake sweet potatoes, or gain access your bank account to balance out

your check book.

However, some things are less obvious, like how to recycle techno trash and how technology

can improve the environment.

Recycling Your Techno Trash

Sell Your Mobile Phone

What do you do when you upgrade your mobile phone?

Put it in a drawer and forget it, then trash it a few years later when you’re sure that

it’s now completely obsolete.

Fortunately, there are many ways to avoid this grim fate.

When companies like ItsWorthMore.com buy your phone from you, it’s not only out

of your space, but you can also make some money with it.

In addition, it can continue to do a lot of good work.

It might help a teenager afford their first mobile phone.

It might help a soldier stationed overseas talk to their family back home.

It might even help someone with a car breakdown.

Don’t clutter up your junk drawer with one more item: put your phone to good use.

Clean Up Your Hard Drive

What do you do when your trusty old computer dies on you?

Put it in the recycle bin?

Donate it to a friend?

Give it to goodwill?

While there is nothing wrong with any of these methods of disposing of your computer,

be sure to clean up your hard drive before you get rid of your computer.

Do this even if your computer won’t even boot up anymore.

Someone can put your hard-drive in a good computer and read all your information.

Sensitive information like your name, address, and social security numbers on your hard-drive

could be used for identity theft or other nefarious purposes.

“Be sure to clean up your

hard drive before you get

rid of your computer.”

Your passwords could be used to get into your cloud accounts or even steal from your bank account

Microsoft says that “reformatting a disk or reinstalling the operating system does not guarantee

the old data is unreadable.

Your two options for data removal are to use a certified refurbisher (preferred) or do it yourself.”

Use a certified refurbisher if you have sensitive information and your computer is new and in

good condition.

You can also do it yourself if you feel comfortable with advanced computer operations.

This option works if you want to save money, have low-risk information and your computer is older

than five years.

Reuse Ink Cartridges

Many retailers who sell new printer ink cartridges also now refill old cartridges.

You only pay a fraction of the cost of the original cartridge.

Besides saving money, you are also reducing the number of ink cartridges in landfills.

Across the planet, about 10 cartridges are disposed of every minute, and it’s estimated

that it takes from 500 to 1000 years for an ink cartridge to decompose fully.

However, not all cartridges can be refilled and over time your cartridge will wear away

and the ink will leak.

In addition, you may have to look at the manufacturer’s warranty to see if using a recycled

cartridge will impact your printer warranty.

How Technology Can Improve the Environment

While you may have heard about how technology is harming the environment, there is also a flip side to this issue.

Here are three ways technology can improve the environment:

1.You can use apps that help the environment.

Gardening improves the environment and technology can help make you a better gardener.

An app called My Garden Designer will suggest gardening ideas to help you manage your

available gardening space.

2.Technology can be used to produce new materials that use less heavy metals like

cadmium, lead and mercury.

In landfills, degrading devices can seep through to groundwater.

Research is now being done to find new materials that don’t harm the environment.

3.Technology allows us to study our environment and monitor behavior and materials

that could harm it.

Here are some examples:

* Smart technology can monitor when no one is in a room and automatically turn off the lights.

* Paperless technology is reducing the number of trees cut down.

* Digitized information products can reduce an education providers manufacturing and shipping costs.

For instance, shipping a DVD requires the use of plastic, covers, and boxes.

This can be replaced by an online video.

“We can’t overlook the impact technology

can have on our environment.

We have to learn to use it in a smart

and responsible way.”

Using Technology in A Smart Way

It’s easy to get excited about technology because it now makes things possible that

were considered impossible in earlier generations.

For instance, the idea of calling someone while on the road would have been considered

sci-fi for most of the last century; today, however, making a call from your mobile phone

as you drive home is considered part of everyday life.

However, we can’t overlook the impact technology can have on our environment.

We have to learn to use it in a smart and responsible way.

We don’t want our currently helpful technology to pose a problem in the future.

How do you use technology in an eco-friendly way?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.