Even though Norway has a robust e-waste recycling program, a Reddit user's recent discovery of a high-end gaming PC demonstrates how things can still slip through the cracks.
What's happening?
A Reddit user revealed that they picked up a PC with a 1080Ti NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card designated as e-waste. While they got the computer for free, one commenter noted that they had seen a similar model on Facebook Marketplace for $600.
Members of the r/PCBuild community were in awe that someone would discard a PC with components that many deemed impressive.
"No way," one commenter said in amazement.
"That's a pretty solid build even for today's standards," another wrote. "Wonder why someone would just throw it away like that."
"No freaking way!! Too cool for school man," a third responded.
Why is this important?
Every piece of discarded e-waste represents a lost opportunity to reclaim strategically valuable resources such as gold, copper, lithium, and silver. Globally, the world loses around $62 billion each year in these materials to e-waste, according to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and the problem is getting worse.
E-waste is among the fastest-growing waste streams worldwide, and less than 25% of electronics were formally collected and recycled in 2022.
UNITAR estimates that percentage could decrease in the coming years because e-waste generation is outpacing efforts to scale up formal recycling programs.
This leaves communities vulnerable to contamination from hazardous substances in e-waste, with informal recycling operations and illegal dumping generally causing more air or environmental pollution than formal (and perhaps increasingly clean) e-recycling programs.
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Giving me money back 💰 Why would someone throw away a usable PC?
Redditors in the r/PCBuild community had plenty of theories about how the PC ended up as e-waste, with family tensions a popular point of speculation.
"I wonder if some mad parents got rid of a kid's rig or if the owner couldn't be bothered selling parts," one person said.
Regardless of the reason, the OP's find could net them a pretty penny if they take advantage of programs or platforms that help people make money from unwanted electronics.
"If everything works you could get like 400 bucks for it," someone suggested.
What can be done to reduce e-waste?
Trashie's Tech Take Back Box is among the simplest ways to responsibly recycle e-waste and boost those feel-good benefits by getting rewarded in return.
After ordering and receiving your box, you can fill it with up to 10 pounds of electronics and send it to Trashie with your free shipping label. In return, you'll earn TrashieCash to spend on rewards from popular brands.
Other e-recycling programs vary based on your country (and possibly city) of residence.
In the United States, if upgrading your computer's hardware or software isn't an option to keep your device in circulation for longer, organizations like Call2Recycle and Earth911 can help you find a formal e-recycling facility near you.
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