Brummet's Conscious Blog

The Real Cost of Technology and  Why You Should Recycle Responsibly  * Submitted by Zack Gallinger of  Revolution  (a company within the Shift portfolio)- a recycler based in  Toronto  and  Ottawa  that specializes in safe and environmentally-friendly disposal of old electronics, secure data destruction and IT asset disposition services. Check out the hyperlinks throughout the article, taking you to several articles on the issues presented here; also be sure to view the resources at the end of this post.  Before you buy your next electronic gadget, here’s something to think about that goes beyond the features on your wish list or where you’ll find that gadget for the lowest price. Does the amount you will pay accurately reflect the true cost of that item? If you’re like most people, you’d likely conclude that it does. Here’s why you’d be wrong. Direct and Indirect Costs Setting a price for any product can take into considera...

How to Properly Recycle Appliances - Why is this important?  * Today's article was written by: Gina Howard - an avid DIYer who has had to repair, replace, and recycle many appliances in her fixer upper home.  Gina is concerned about making DIY projects as green and eco-friendly as possible, and prefers to repair appliances if at all possible, but if not, making sure they do not go to a landfill and that they are properly recycled. When appliances break down or you simply want new ones, it is time to think about their disposal. It may seem easiest to throw small appliances in the trash, but this is wasteful and harmful in many ways. Appliances do not break down and disappear, and some large appliances, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, contain harmful substances, and some appliance parts can be repurposed and metal and steel recycled. In addition, refrigerators and freezers pose a danger for children who may become trapped inside. Fo...

 -- Positive Eco-News -- During the most recent Positive Eco-News segment of Conscious Discussions Talk Radio , one of the listeners mentioned some curiosity about e-waste... and I wanted to follow up on some of this today. Of course we've done several shows in the past on this subject, interviews with professionals in the e-waste industry, however I saw an ad by the return-it.ca program for electronics recycling here in BC (Canada) and found that the program has grown quite a bit.  Display devices (such as monitors and TVs), desktop computers, portable computers and computer peripherals (such as keyboards and mice) are all recyclable. This has grown to include: scanners, printers, fax machines, non-cellular phones and answering machines, vehicle audio and video systems, including speakers, home audio and video systems including record players and speakers, personal or portable audio and video systems such as ghetto boxes and cameras. – Wow! - Lots of things are accepted...