How Do We Better Train Consumers to Recycle E-Waste?

But what if having a half-the-population recycling rate wasn’t a win but a low average? What if more people didn’t just participate in city recycling programs, but recycled all their electronics or even worked to conserve them? The answer to that dream may lie in solid partnerships. Consumer education will also need to play a role, namely in teaching consumers to look for third-party eco-certifications when buying and not upgrading devices at the drop of a hat.

Focusing on strong partnerships

As far as partnerships and education go, there are tons of case studies of successful initiatives to learn from. One such group is the GrassRoots Recycling Network, which helps promote recycling at individual, legislative, businesses and community levels. It helps businesses establish zero waste principles, individuals plan zero waste events in their communities and producers use recycled content, just to name a few initiatives. It’s a decent look at a grassroots model that focuses on public education and work with organizations for going zero waste. 

Businesses have also taken a leading role in helping consumers participate in recycling. StopWaste details some key companies that have gone out of their way to engage consumers and employees in the recycling process. For instance, a gated community called Carriage House Apartments placed larger bins around the facility to collect more recyclables and reduce collection fees. Part of the effort involved an outreach campaign to residents. 

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported on some businesses and governments that work with their employees to engage in recycling. Companies like AbundaTrade.com educate employees on recycling in the company, as well as taking recycling out to the community. The community of Fort Jackson has one of the most comprehensive recycling programs in South Carolina, taking everything from electronics to cooking oil. 

Many of these businesses’ recycling programs take electronics or promote the recycling of them, showing how key business partnerships could divert literally tons of electronics out of the disposal system. 

What all these programs illustrate is that education will indeed require key partnerships and coordinated efforts. Partnering with businesses, communities and grassroots movements broadcasts the recycling message where the consumer lives, shops and works. But that isn’t to say basic consumer education needs to go by the wayside.

Teaching consumers to watch for labels

One way to get consumers to close the waste loop is to educate them on legit and verified certifications. For electronic devices, that includes ENERGY STAR, EPEAT, R2 and eStewards, to name a few. A full list of electronics labels can be viewed here. 

The key is putting the labels in front of consumers so they can recognize and remember the labels while out shopping. Comprehensive educational materials covering what each label actually means and why it is important can help too. 

Of course, the most effective way to help consumers cut back on waste is to stop wasteful habits at their source.

Cutting back the disposable mindset

For decades now we’ve been awash in the need for the latest techno-gadget so we can feel cool and relevant. Every year there’s the newest iPhone, the latest TV or the new tablet upgrade. 

But there is good news: Recon Analytics expects the replacement cycle for cell phones to climb to around 30 months by 2016, extending the lifespan of these devices from their 2014 average of 26.5 months. And the highly disposable tablet computers we were thinking would supplant desktop computers have failed to do so. The replacement rate for a business desktop is still sitting at three to four years. But that’s as opposed to the tablet, which people usually get antsy about replacing well shorter than the desktop lifespan (think: six months, sometimes). 

Yet there’s room for improvement in how often people want to replace their devices. An informal poll with Lifehacker had people voicing the opinion that a phone should be upgraded every year with the upgrade cycle, yet some people said they would hold off as much as three years before upgrading their device. 

Holding onto a phone for as long as possible can have its virtues. After all, a phone that someone takes good care of can last years and should be kept as long as it’s not running too slow. And it usually takes several upgrade cycles before that happens. Strong consumer education efforts may help people see that. There are also the possible benefits of saving money, keeping old contract deals and keeping a phone you’re used to, in addition to creating less waste. 

Digital Trends has a good article that asks consumers why they feel they need to upgrade: Is it because you just want something new or is it because the new phone legitimately has updated features you’d actually use? Most individuals with phone upgrades probably won’t have a positive answer to that second question. 

With each new smartphone that comes out, the wonder of phone upgrades is starting to wear off. We’re no longer in the days where it’s a matter of upgrading to a new phone because your old one can’t surf the Internet, run Facebook apps or tell you the weather. Now is the time to urge consumers to ask themselves why they’re upgrading. 

Consumers and the e-waste crisis will benefit from one simple question: “Do I actually NEED a new electronic device?”