Posted on January 24, 2019
The Jane Goodall Institute is sponsoring an effort to recycle and reuse electronic devices in order to minimize impact on already threatened habitats - habitats that happen to be important for chimpanzees - and also to minimize the wars between groups who want to control the lands where we've found important metals and minerals used in creating electronics.Also, if people throw used or broken electronic devices into landfills, toxic metals that they contain cause environmental problems.
The late-January date for this special day is perfectly designed to be well after all the various gift-giving holidays of November through early January. The people of the world are asked to gather electronics that are no longer going to be used in their homes - especially cell (mobile) phones - and send them to one of JGI's recycling partners.
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| Do you have a pile of old cell phones that you don't know what to do with? Today's your lucky day! |
We're also asked to spread the word!
This is important because it's actually not that easy to dispose of e-waste; just turning old devices over to anybody who uses the words "recycle your e-waste" doesn't guarantee that the electronics will be dealt with in a responsible way. Loads of recyclers just send old electronics in containers to developing nations where there aren't laws to protect workers; the workers are asked to remove the metals and otherwise mine the waste for valuable materials in ways that guarantee that they will be breathing in toxic fumes or will be otherwise poisoning their own bodies. ECO-CELL, the JGI institutes recycling partner in the US, actually refurbishes phones whenever possible. These phones are then sold or donated to conservation non-profits (Non-Governmental Organizations). This is an example of reuse rather than recycling, and that is especially valuable when we're talking about e-waste.
Apparently ECO-CELL recycles whatever cannot be fixed in ways that take into consideration workers' health and the environment.
If you live in the U.S., check out this link from the Jane Goodall Institute website linked to above.
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| Here's a glimpse of what we're trying to protect... |
Also on this date:
Beginning of the Sundance Film Festival
Economic Liberation Day in Togo
AND Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day
Plan ahead:
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