There’s almost no job a gadget can’t do, but it’s worth asking ourselves from time to time whether we really want machines doing everything in our lives for us.
Even the most industrious among us will happily hand over some tasks to a handy local robot: washing clothes, for example, or communicating with others from a distance. To give these up in the 21st century would change life beyond recognition. But what about the less essential appliances that do little more than sit in the cupboard gathering dust?
We’ve all played host to pointless gadgets at one time or another – often the unwanted Christmas presents that seemed like a good idea at the time: there are ‘novelty’ items like singing fish or USB beer-chillers, appliances for the ultra-lazy, like robot hoovers and electric fly-swatters – and then of course there’s the ‘museum’ of old mobile phones that can often be found lurking in our drawers.
Many of us hold on to these redundant bits of kit with the best of intentions, and often with concern for the environment in the back of our minds. We think we might use them one day, and don’t want to contribute to the ever growing mountain of e-waste that’s leaking toxic chemicals all over the planet.
But there are actually plenty of easy, responsible ways you can rid yourself of this unwanted clutter. Here are just a few of them.
Pass it on. Just because you’ve declared a gadget to be pointless, it’s bound to appeal to somebody. Unfortunately, the charity shop option is out here, because most will not accept electronic items for health & safety reasons. But you can always turn to Freecycle, Ebay if you think it’s worth some money, or websites like Snaffle Up, which put your unwanted appliances on the market for you.
Sustainable scrappage. If the gadget in question really has ceased to be, your local council is the best place to turn. Councils are getting more recycling savvy all the time, and the best place to find out how your council stacks up is at Recycle Now. They’ve got a postcode search, which will give you a list of any collections that are made, when they happen and what’s accepted. There’s also a list of local recycling centres, which is probably what you’ll need if you’re recycling electronics.
Make money from your mobile. There’s no excuse to put mobile phones in the rubbish now that so many companies that will happily take your old phone out of your hands and pay your for the privilege. Components are a highly valued by the electronics trade, and you might be surprised at how much your old handset will fetch. Mopay, Envirofone and Money4UrMobile are all tried and tested phone recycling sites.
Image: Dio5
