You can often find treasure in unexpected places. A Reddit user was thrilled after recovering "loot" from their company's electronic waste pile before it ended up in a landfill.
What's happening?
The employee shared their haul in Reddit's r/windowsxp. They recovered an Intel motherboard that still works and a brand-new LED flat panel monitor with a 4:3 ratio from Lenovo.
"The screen was untouched, just the box was damaged," the poster explained.
"Looks good as new! You actually got same motherboard as mine that I use for my XP computer," one commenter enthused. "Good finding!"
"How does someone get a job like yours?" another asked cheekily.
Why is this important?
While many Redditors rightfully raved about the score — there's no better price than free — the situation highlights a dangerous trend in an electronically dependent world.
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Last year's Global e-Waste Monitor report estimated that e-waste recycling programs are woefully ill-equipped to handle a surge of e-waste.
Not only is e-waste a health and environmental hazard, with hazardous, brain-damaging substances such as mercury and lead leaching into our water and soil, but it is also a massive waste of resources and labor.
Inadequate e-waste recycling led to $91 billion in losses of valuable metals. Ultimately, this can increase production costs and lead to higher upfront prices for consumers.
Why would a company discard usable electronics?
The employer may have found it less logistically complicated to dispose of the electronics rather than working with schools, libraries, or other organizations to donate items when they replaced their equipment with newer models. However, they appear to be prioritizing short-term gains over long-term sustainability.
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Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Giving me money back 💰 "Still can't believe flat screen monitors are going dodo by now as well," another Redditor said. "I mean yeah, it's 4:3 … [but] there could still be plenty of workplace use for these."
"You are right, but the standard is 16:9," the OP responded. "Two month before, we had 200 piece of 5:4, 19-inch monitors, all went to dump. I managed to save one."
As for Intel, it has resources available for buyers to search for proper e-waste recycling facilities in their locales. Lenovo offers asset take-backs for businesses and product take-back programs for consumers across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
What can I do about electronic waste more broadly?
You could be sitting on a proverbial gold mine. Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, Staples, and other major retailers will allow you to swap old electronics for store credit. Before you discard unwanted electronics, check out nearby locations to see if your stuff qualifies for their programs.
If not, make sure you take your equipment to an appropriate facility. Improper disposal increases the risk of toxic contamination and is a fire hazard if the e-waste contains lithium batteries.
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