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recycle

The Importance Of Proper Electronic Recycling 

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In the digital age, most of us have the experience of our old devices piling up in bins and drawers as we upgrade them over the years. While electronics can be recycled, it can feel difficult to figure out the specifics of how to properly dispose of each individual item, but it’s important that we do.

According to the United Nations’ most recent estimates, the world generates millions of tons of electronic waste (e-waste) annually. In 2022, for example, people around the world produced 137 billion pounds of e-waste with only 22% of it being properly recycled. 

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The Environmental Protection Agency echoed those estimates, claiming that less than a quarter of e-waste is recycled in the US every year. 

When e-waste goes to regular landfills, the devices can emit harmful materials that can hurt our environment. They also contain metals that are hard to source, so recycling is the best option to maintain sustainability. 

Rick Neitzel, an environmental health sciences professor, said: 

“The way that we’re creating and using and disposing of these devices has generated this completely unsustainable waste stream, and there’s no signs of that abating at all. In fact, the trend continues to accelerate.”

If more electronics were properly recycled, it could also drive down to costs of some newer electronics. 

Electronics have such a wide range of materials and types, making recycling seem daunting. Recyclers need to be able to extract each component and material efficiently, which can be a complex, energy-intensive, and expensive process, Neitzel said. 

Components such as steel, aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics and even glass, can be recovered and reused, said John Shegerian, founder of Electronic Recyclers International, to AP. 

“These electronics — which could and have historically ended up in our landfills or in other inappropriate places — can leak all the stuff that’s contained there within: Mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, arsenic. All these things are horrible if they get into our environmental ecosystem,” Shegerian said.

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If one of your devices is newer and still in working condition, manufacturers can potentially refurbish and resell it. There are organizations that will also refresh and reset these devices to give them to those in need or community-type centers to be utilized for free by many. 

If you think your device can no longer be refurbished, checking in with a manufacturer is still a great place to start when it comes to being guided in the right direction on properly disposing your device. 

“The manufacturers are where we want this stuff to end up because they know their products, they know best and most efficiently how to recycle them,” Neitzel said.

There are major retailers that also offer recycling services. Stores like Best Buy and Staples often accept big and small devices for recycling, and can even help with larger items like refrigerators and televisions. 

Many local governments also have information regarding where to drop off certain electronics in your specific area, so make sure to check out your community websites and local offices for information as well. 

“Typically, if you’re dropping them off at a government-run electronic waste collection station, you can be confident in that,” Neitzel said.

There are many online resources that you can also use to mail-in your old devices to have them properly disposed of. Many websites such as Waste Management, Amazon, Best Buy, and others will send you boxes directly to your door to fill up and mail out for disposal.

macbook

Apple Is Reportedly Bringing Touchscreens to MacBooks As Early As 2025

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According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is working on adding OLED touchscreens to MacBooks as early as 2025. In the past, the Cupertino company refrained from adding the feature to its MacBook product line, even as its competitors widely embraced the tablet-computer model.

Bloomberg released the report on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Apple has added touchscreens to its other products, such as phones, tablets and smartwatches. However, many Apple execs did not support adding the capability to its MacBook line.

At a 2010 apple event, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs expressed that he found the concept of a laptop with a touchscreen tiring for a user.

“We’ve done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn’t work. Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical. It gives a great demo, but after a short period, you start to fatigue, and after an extended period, your arm wants to fall off. It doesn’t work; it’s ergonomically terrible.“

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In 2012, his successor as CEO, Tim Cook, ridiculed Microsoft for merging its tablets and laptops, comparing the move to fusing a toaster and a refrigerator.

In 2021, Apple hardware engineering SVP John Ternus said that the company made the “world’s best touch computer on an iPad.”

“It’s totally optimized for that. And the Mac is totally optimized for indirect input. We haven’t really felt a reason to change that.”

Even while it’s unclear whether Apple will release the touchscreen laptop, doing so would help the company meet the changing needs of its customers and boost sales of its Mac computers.

Apple’s defiance of its co-founder’s vision is likely due to the increasing number of competitors providing touchscreen laptops, including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Samsung and Microsoft. 

Tablet and laptop customers can find what they are looking for in several of these brands’ laptops thanks to their 360-degree hinges and multipurpose features.

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Apple had reservations that adding touchscreens to its Mac product line may cut into iPad sales, which declined in previous years.

However, Bloomberg reports that laptop sales have brought in more revenue. Therefore, it is not surprising that Apple has decided to use touchscreens. Interest in Apple computers has been growing due to Apple’s inclusion of its new in-house processor that improved battery life and performance. MacBook revenue increased 14% in Apple’s 2022 fiscal year to $40.1 billion. 

David McQueen, research director at ABI Research, commented that the distinction between high-end iPads and MacBooks is becoming increasingly hazy thanks to new chips, battery life, and thinner designs. 

By using an Apple Pencil with a 12.9-inch iPad Pro attached to a Magic Keyboard, there is “not much to tell it apart from a laptop experience,” according to McQueen.

“The market has embraced 2-in-1 laptop-tablet hybrids, and maybe now Apple sees the rationale for also adding one to its armory.”

Smart Devices

Get The Most Use Out Of Your Smart Devices

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Technology has become somewhat of a lifeline for most of us. It’s hard to point to anyone under the age of 55 who doesn’t own at least one smart personal device; and why would it be any different? Personal technology helps us organize our busy lives, stay connected to all of our loved ones regardless of where they are in the world, and can be an endless source of entertainment. 

It goes without saying that while technology can help us all become more organized and productive, it can also have the opposite effect to the same degree. However, making simple upgrades and adjustments to the ways in which we implement this technology in our personal and professional lives can make all the difference in terms of productivity. 

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Some of the most common struggles that we all can relate to in terms of our smart devices is either the fact that they run too slow, or don’t have enough storage. Both of these issues often come with age, meaning how long we’ve owned a particular version of a particular device. Upgrading out-of-date technology often feels unnecessary and like a scam that those who work on the retail end for these tech corporations push onto customers to get them to spend more money; and more often than not that is the case. 

However, upgrading your devices every three to five years has become somewhat of a standard practice, as it should be. Putting the aesthetics of upgraded smart phones and thin laptops aside, it’s important to buy new generations of the devices you own because of how often technology is changing now. So how do you know when it’s time to give your old phone the boot to pick up a fresh one? 

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First, do an analytical assessment of the devices you’re debating upgrading. Take note of every issue, no matter how small, that you have with the way in which your device is running. When you look back at your list, would it be more worth it to invest in repairs, or an upgrade? Getting a quote for repairs is also always an option, so if you’re unsure as to which option would give you the biggest bang for your buck in the long run, don’t hesitate to get your device checked out by a professional. 

So once you have either your new device or refurbished one, there are other ways to ensure you’re utilizing them to be the most productive individual that you can be. Distractions and an excess of communication via social media can kill productivity in a matter of milliseconds, as most of us already know. To help combat this, it’s best if you give yourself a visual for how often you’re using each application on your device.

On most smart devices, there’s a section in the settings application that allows you to see how much time you spend on your phone in a given week; beyond that, how often you spend on each particular app. Use this information as a means of creating a sort of tech use strategy for yourself. All the aspects of your phone/device that are used as a means of distraction need to be less accessible during the times you want to be productive.

Whether that means turning your device completely off, turning off the notifications, or even temporarily deleting distracting apps for the day until you get all of your work done, whatever it is, do what you need to do to be the most productive.