Greening Up Your Gadget

I am writing this blog from my cell phone to make a point about the spread of new gadgets and what it means to the environment.

There are more than a few things that gadgets do to negatively impact our world. Three specific problems come to mind.

First, most new technology is manufactured using toxic metals. Second, these gadgets require a lot of electricity to charge their batteries. Third, most owners don't take necessary steps to reduce the electricity their mobile friends are burning.

To address these issues, let me give you 3 quick pieces of advice on owning gadgets.

1. Recycle your gadget. Many office supply stores across the country will accept used cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, etc. The batteries are recycled, as well as many of the circuits. This reduces the use of toxic metals and prevents those metals from leaking into your water.


2. Use alternative means to charge your gadget. An example of a solar cell phone charger can be seen HERE. These chargers will provide a small return on your investment and they will lesson the electricity you are using to charge your phone or other gadget.


3. Make energy saving changes to your gadget. There are many options on almost all gadgets that will allow it to better conserve energy. Using these options will not only save you aggravation by expanding the life of your power charges, but they will make your gadget consume less electricity. Plus, don't forget to unplug that thing once its charged. Gadgets will continue to drain electricity from the wall, even after it is fully charged.