Getting a new gadget to use and play with can make most of us adults feel like kids on Christmas morning. Things like new cell phones, PDAs, laptops and music players can be fun, helpful and, with a little effort and research, great eco-friendly products. Here are seven easy ways you can make sure your electronics are also eco-friendly products.
1. Research Before you Buy
It’s easy to find Energy Star ratings and EPEAT ratings for many eco-friendly products. Those two ratings will let you know how energy efficient a product is and how much of a carbon footprint product’s lifecycle leaves. Consumer Reports has also begun evaluating the environmental impact of electronic products as well, and remains a great resource for evaluating eco-friendly products.
2. Buy Recycled and Recyclable Gadgets
More and more electronics are hitting the market as eco-friendly products, offering recycled materials and materials that were sustainably acquired. But these kinds of gadgets are still hard to find.
3. Recharge Electronics with Renewable Energy
Since most personal electronic equipment like cell phones and notebook computers are eco-friendly products that don’t require much energy to get up and running, they’re perfect candidates for those new small, personal charging devices. You can charge your cell phone with a Hymini mini wind turbine that can latch onto your bike or hang out of your car window. There are also a range of solar powered chargers that will charge cell phones and music players in no time.
4. Avoid Vampire Power
“Vampire power” is the energy that devices use (or waste) when they’re plugged in but not turned on or in use. You can either unplug devices when they’re not in use or buy eco-friendly products like a power strip that can efficiently manage electricity and cut the supply to gadgets that don’t need them.
5. Make Use of all the Gadget’s Features
Have a cell phone that plays music? Great. Then you don’t need to lug around an MP3 player. And if you have eco-friendly products like a cell phone that has an alarm clock and a calculator, then you can get rid of those extra time and space-consuming gadgets, too. Fewer gadgets mean less clutter and less energy used in recharging them.
6. Make Money from Old Gadgets
Check out buyback programs for electronic equipment. These are recycling programs for electronic equipment that may offer you some cash or credit towards the purchase of a new gadget. The old, electronic eco-friendly products are sent back to be reused in new equipment. And you get compensated. Not a bad deal.
7. Use Gadgets for as Long as You Can
As great way to save money, why not hang on to your electronics for as long as possible? Sure, it’s tempting to take advantage of a great deal on the latest cell phone when your contract is up, ask yourself if you really need the latest thing or if your current eco-friendly products are operating just fine, like your cell phone, PDA or music player, hang onto them and help the earth out by reducing you’re carbon footprint.
