Tech’s E-Waste Problems
Tech surrounds us and beckons us to the newest and best products that companies have to offer. What we don’t consider in our upgrades is the damage to people and the environment these devices involve. What’s the solution?
e-waste
Tesla Cofounder JB Straubel Aims To Solve A Key Problem Of E-Bike Batteries
JB Straubel, who was one of the co-founders of Tesla as well as its former chief technology offer, is the founder of Redwood Materials, which focuses on recycling electric car batteries. However, now, The Verge reports that Straubel’s company is teaming up with Specialized to recycle the e-bike industry’s batteries, … [continued]
Amazon Makes Major Investment In Redwood Materials
Redwood Materials, the battery and e-waste recycling company started by JB Straubel, has secured a major investment from Amazon’s Climate
Planned Obsolescence Leads To Resource Depletion, Overflowing Landfills, & Climate Change
Virtually all manufacturers today build their “durable” white and brown goods with planned obsolescence. They are designed to fail instead of designed for the longest possible lifetime. Concurrently, most now come with 1-year warranties, or longer warranties as a marketing gimmick, with some of the purchase price put aside by the bean counters for the inevitable failures. The reason for all this is increased profit.
Scientists Develop Recycling Process That Could Lead To “Zero Waste” Cell Phones
Researchers have developed a process to separate fiberglass from resin. This was a task that had proved nearly impossible earlier — and the primary reason the two substances are nearly impossible to recycle. They must be separated to make them reusable. Scientists hope their research will be used to develop a “zero-waste” cell phone.
Women In Green Industries: A Conversation With Lisa Ann Pinkerton & Charlene Lujan
Join a conversation with WCS Founder and Chairwoman Lisa Ann Pinkerton and Charlene Lujan of Auction BDI
Earthbag Dome, Battery Storage From E-Waste, & Solar Power (#ZFEP Winner Bali Green School)
The finalists in the Global High Schools category shock me every year. They offer so much creativity, passion, and goodwill. This year, I was particularly surprised that the teacher from one of the winning schools is a long-time CleanTechnica reader!
Reusable Carbon Nanotube & Quartz Fiber Water Filter Removes 99% Of Heavy Metals
Researchers at Rice University have developed a simple water filtration material so effective that a single gram of it can treat up to 83,000 liters of contaminated water, after which it can be washed with vinegar and reused.
Tech Takeback Day Helps NYC Recycle E-Waste, Courtesy Of Dell, Uber, & Goodwill
This Saturday, residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens can have their e-waste picked up for free and recycled responsibly, thanks to the Dell Reconnect program’s Tech Takeback Day. The speed at which we churn through our gadgets and electronic tools these days, whether its due to the constant pressure to … [continued]
Isidore — The Cure For Black Friday Overconsumption
While millions of Americans are doing everything they can to get the latest electronics, billions of discarded devices lie waiting to become truly obsolete in dusty basements everywhere. Some are lucky enough to get donated to charities that resell them to people who can’t afford the latest and greatest. But most, about 75% of the e-waste America generates, winds up in a landfill somewhere. The toxic metals then mix with the liquids and can easily find their way back into the water supply. Meanwhile, circuit boards in public toilets are stripped for their precious metals, while the majority of offshore electronics recycling is done with little regard for health and safety.
