Eco-friendly Tech Tips
This year marks the 22nd annual Earth Day, and there are countless things to do to help the planet. Within tech, eco-friendly actions include reducing E-waste, using less paper, and turning off devices.
Reducing E-waste
Recycle your old devices instead of throwing them away! Tossing old electronics in the garbage can make dangerous chemicals seep into the environment.
Find your local E-waste recycling facility and see if they can take your device. The DWPstates that E-waste includes “computers, printers, televisions, VCRs, cell phones, fax machines, stereos, and electronic games”.
Resell or donate products that are usable or valuable. Newer devices can be sold as used on eBay or other e-commerce websites, and working devices can be donated to charities, schools, etc.
Another way to reduce E-waste is to prevent it from piling up in the first place. Part of the reason there is so much E-waste is because of consumerism. People buy multitudes of cheap devices, making the amount of E-waste “impossible to cope with”, according to Forbes. By simply buying better quality devices that last longer and no longer stocking up on tech products, people could reduce e-waste.
Using less paper
One of the easiest ways to help the planet is to use less paper or to stop using it completely, if possible.
As the world moves toward making everything digital, it becomes very easy to write everything on the computer. Everything, from important documents to phone messages, can be digital. In addition to being eco-friendly, it is also time-saving. Notes can be written down more quickly, and files can be shared more easily via e-mail or suites like Microsoft Teams.
Storing files in the cloud can also save on paper use. Instead of keeping everything in a bulky file cabinet, keep them online. Doing this also makes it easier to access your files and harder to misplace them.
Turn off devices when not in use
To prevent from wasting energy, shut down your electronics when they’re not in use.
Turning off your devices also helps the batteries last longer. Simply shut your computer down and unplug it from the socket (if applicable). This allows the internal components of your machine to cool down and last longer, says Lifewire.
Also, make sure to reset your devices once a week to ensure updates can be installed.
These little changes we can make can make a large impact on the planet. Every small bit of effort counts. After all, Earth Day should be every day.
Originally published on LinkedIn.
