A homeowner is raising alarms about a new kind of unwanted mail — one that doesn't just clutter the kitchen counter but could add to the country's growing e-waste problem.
In a post that struck a huge nerve in Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating community, the homeowner shared a photo of what at first looked like an ordinary promotional mailer from Hilton Grand Vacations.
However, inside the glossy envelope was a small, LED-equipped gadget roughly the size of a USB drive — complete with a button-cell battery.
"Infuriating enough on its own, but this one comes with [a] USB-drive sized LED light to try to convince me that I've won something," the homeowner wrote.
"How many of these electronic devices … are just going to end up in our landfills?"
They added that they were also irritated to have to spend part of their evening dismantling the contraption just to responsibly dispose of it.
While plastics tend to dominate conversations about waste and pollution, e-waste is a threat growing every year, especially with the pervasiveness of new technology.
Gadgets like this could contain valuable materials like lithium, cobalt, and rare metals. When companies mass-produce disposable electronics for marketing, all of that labor, mining, and manufacturing is essentially thrown away all for a gimmick (and an unconvincing one, at that).
Plus, e-waste piling up in landfills only contributes to more methane pollution, which is bad news for our air quality and the planet.
Unlike typical household waste, improperly discarded batteries can leach toxic chemicals into soil and waterways, passing cleanup and health costs over to the public.
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Yes — always 😬 The financial losses compound, too; every discarded battery represents wasted production, wasted labor, and wasted recovery potential. That's why recycling programs and resale options matter so much to slow the rapidly growing waste stream.
Commenters were quick to share their outrage.
"This kind of stuff should be illegal," one wrote.
Another pointed out just how wasteful and ineffective junk mail is.
"I have never, not once, engaged with a single piece of junk mail," they said. "Coupon, code, invite, anything. I can't imagine the raw weight of it I've [received] in my life already."
A third helpfully added, "BTW — if you pop open the little plastic LED light, you can extract 2 LR41 micro-dime cells for possible reuse. Still, it's all such an infuriating waste of resources and folk's time."
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