When was the last time a broken DVD player led to a trip to the repair shop?  The reality is this: We don’t fix electronics anymore, we just replace them. Experts call this a growing throwaway-electronics culture. While tech companies benefit from shorter product life cycles, the by-product can harm household budgets and the planet.  The end result: Electronics containing toxic substances are appearing in landfills around the world.

With inexpensive gadgets showing up at prices people can’t resist, and manufacturers building items that are too costly to repair (along with shorter warranties), they end up in the trash.  One suggestion is to put the responsibility of recycling the item onto the manufacturer. That might force the manufacturers to design better, longer-lasting, less-toxic, and more-recyclable products in the first place.

So, how can you help?  First, make sure that you take all your dead equipment to a recycling drop-off location.  If your item is still useful… just not to you, then try and donate it to an person or organization that can use it.  Most importantly, however, is to purchase well-built products in the first place.  Don’t always look at the price tag.

We here at ICS will take back any electronic item that we have sold, and will either recycle it, or find someone that can use it.