Having successfully fixed my leaking dishwasher recently got me thinking about how easily many people throw broken gadgets and appliances out. Not even trying to recycle them in many cases; just throwing them out.
There’s a list in AOL’s Money & Finance section that drives me nuts. It’s a list of 5 things you should never repair.
I know many gadgets are hard to have repaired, but to say you shouldn’t even bother checking it out really makes me mad. Especially since the list includes computers. The quick version of the list is:
- Computers
- Digital Cameras
- MP3 Players
- Microwave Ovens
- Cell Phones
I was smart when I got my computer and got the extended warranty. That’s not a smart move with a lot of electronics, but I’ve found it to be a must with computers, and every time I’ve bought one on a computer I’ve gotten my money’s worth. My computer I’m using right now has already had its power supply replaced once. Shouldn’t have needed it as it is not that old (coming up on two years, I think), but it did, and that would have been an expense if I hadn’t had the warranty. It’s had more minor work done too.
The other items mentioned I do understand are much harder to decide to repair. After all, they’re cheaper than a good computer, and repairs are expensive. It has long been an annoyance that disposal makes more sense than repair for so many things now.
I do agree that one of the smartest things you can do is to properly protect your electronics. They recommend that you have a sleeve for MP3 players, so that they are not so easily damaged. That’s just good sense.
Then again, the best thing you can do in terms of the environment and your electronics is think about which ones you really need at all, and how often you really need to upgrade. I buy computers when the old one gets beyond repair, my cell phone has survived a thorough soaking courtesy of my son, my digital camera is 5 years old and still going strong. I like it that way.
Once your electronics do reach that point, use resources such as Earth 911’s electronics recycling guide to figure out how to properly dispose of your electronics.
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[…] Yesterday I talked about whether or not you should repair or replace broken electronics. I briefly mentioned that you could recycle, but I forgot to mention one more resource for disposing of them. […]