How to Recycle Your Old Electronics | One Small Step | NowThis

How to Recycle Your Old Electronics | One Small Step | NowThis

You probably have some old flip phones and iPods lying around, but few people know how to properly get rid of them — here’s the right way to recycle your e-waste.
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Only 1 out of every 6 discarded electronics are getting recycled, partly because many people just don’t know where or how to properly discard their old electronics. From old phones and computers to TVs and stereo equipment, recycling centers like the Gowanus E-Waste Warehouse in Brooklyn collect all kinds of old, damaged, and unused electronics that then get sorted and recycled.

When old electronics are properly recycled, they can be broken down into these three categories:
1. Newer working items that can be refurbished & resold.
2. Unique antiques that are stored at prop warehouses and rented out for TV and movie productions.
3. Outdated items that get shredded for their parts.

Recycling electronics is a costly and laborious business, and our e-waste problem only appears to be getting worse. Globally, we produce 45 million tons of electronic waste every year, and that number is expected to increase annually by 3-4% as more countries modernize.

Follow your host Lucy Biggers as she finds out what happens to our recycled electronics in this episode of One Small Step.

#ClimateChange #Environment #OneSmallStep

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What happens to everything we use after we throw it away? How does our trash impact the environment and contribute to things like pollution and climate change? From plastics and recycling to food waste and composting – we’re breaking down the issue of waste and sustainability piece by piece to answer one of the most important questions facing the world today: How do we save our planet?

From exploring the latest tech and science innovations shaping our future, to living sustainably and protecting our planet from climate change — this is NowThis Future!

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35 Comments

  1. jklfds85 on July 22, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    You can STILL recycle regular batteries. We do in California. Certain CVS stores take them.

  2. Heather Burch on July 22, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    Great content! Thank you for the great information regarding electronic recycling! But before we recycle let’s consider if we really need a new item.
    Please keep in mind that the most environmentally friendly device is the one you already own. Keep your item until the end of it’s life, repair if possible and buy used devices.

  3. Vegan T-Rex Mr. Vegan T-Rex on July 22, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    Yes good job on talking about the fake recyclers. This has been a huge problem for many years of lower income countries. They do whatever they can to get rid of the recycled material no matter the cost to their individual health nor the environmental health. Great video.

  4. K. Ganesan Ganesan on July 22, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    Reuse if you can.

  5. Elaine Cameron on July 22, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    Thank you for all your great programming!

  6. Michal Balecki on July 22, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    A lot of those things work why recycle if they can be still used

  7. Linda Le on July 22, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    I love this series!

  8. Zoe Kimono on July 22, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    this series is teaching me so much! keep it up!

  9. Marc Porta on July 22, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    Is there a way/web to know which products are less toxics?

  10. Bujaka Bujaka on July 22, 2020 at 8:08 pm

    Finally China becomes green slowly.

  11. Gusndra Saputra on July 22, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    After all good talking, in the end send it to China…

  12. merlinious01 on July 22, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    I am saddened by all the n64s and wiis and stuff.

  13. Sarahlenea on July 22, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    In addition, it’s possible to buy refurbished phones, TV, computers and all kinds of electronic items instead of buying them new, or choosing items where the batterie or a component can be replaced without throwing away everything.

  14. Jenna Ditzler on July 22, 2020 at 8:16 pm

    3.1k views, and not a single dislike! That’s pretty good if you ask me

  15. David Beaulieu on July 22, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    My question to you is how much do you trust the EPA? Your answer should be not at all considering the person in charge appointed by the orange turd in office is an oil executive

  16. houchi69 on July 22, 2020 at 8:24 pm

    Small step, which is only a band-aid of the actual problem.

  17. Lynda Schroeder on July 22, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    So great!!! Very informative in all your videos! You also should get a great reward!!!

  18. Nicholas L on July 22, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    Resell your electronics quickly or donate to charity, take back to stores!

  19. Rasmus Pedersen on July 22, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    Thumbnail says Recylcing instead of Recycling

  20. jklfds85 on July 22, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    I don’t believe that regular batteries are non toxic. They ARE toxic. They have battery acid in them, how are they not toxic in our water and soil???

  21. Sandra Leishman on July 22, 2020 at 8:30 pm

    I wish Now This Future had more canadian content.

  22. Big J on July 22, 2020 at 8:34 pm

    Remember Futurama? The scene where they burn the electronics… "OK kids, find the shiny"

  23. J Dodge on July 22, 2020 at 8:34 pm

    The only difficult thing is these greener alternatives are usually hiked up in price.

  24. SKVTN on July 22, 2020 at 8:34 pm

    I think an often overlooked angle in this is the programmed obsolesence and shady business practices of manufacturers who make it so their product becomes waste in spite of the consumer bearing most of the cost and non repair embedded into designs that makes what you own trash at rates determined by the industry and not the market or consumer criteria.

    It would be cool to touch up on this on a separate video 🙂

  25. anwesh peddineni on July 22, 2020 at 8:36 pm

    how many are aware of the long term problems we are buying in the name of solutions today. all companies in the countries around the globe should come together for one cause to solve these collective problems. All the enterprises in the world should become social enterprises and start working together, this is to make life on earth beautiful instead of ugly, we still have a choice.

  26. Vivek Samant on July 22, 2020 at 8:36 pm

    Thank you for the knowledge.

  27. Brokkoli OMG on July 22, 2020 at 8:36 pm

    Concerning smartphones, there are the Fairphone and the Shiftphone that are leading the way into a more sustainable electronics market. 🙂

  28. mjdc kitchen on July 22, 2020 at 8:36 pm

    I want to do something like zero waste but I don’t know how to start in my community …

  29. marvin raphael monfort on July 22, 2020 at 8:40 pm

    the 1% electronics being resposible for 70% damage can be also about people!

  30. Save Our Planet on July 22, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    I have started a YouTube channel that is non-profit, and all earnings will go into helping the environment! Subscribing, liking, sharing my videos will be your way of showing that you care. Every penny counts!

  31. jklfds85 on July 22, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    Another way to reduce waste =NOT upgrading your electronics every single year just to keep up with the Johnses! I’ve had the same phone for the past 6 YEARS and it works just FINE. I will use it until it is unusable! I don’t care about the ignorant people who keep laughing at me, I care more about the environment!!

  32. Krista Wiegand on July 22, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    I feel like with the increasing sleek-ness and consolidation of technological capabilities into smaller sizes, we would see LESS physical e-waste in the future? (Less clunky plastic old electronics).

  33. A-A Ron on July 22, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    You can nearly always find a low power use for old cells.

  34. D'arcy Thomsen on July 22, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    👍🇨🇦😃

  35. s1xtc3nt on July 22, 2020 at 8:49 pm

    Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

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