In today’s blog, we are going to state the obvious concerns that we are living with and yet somehow choose to unsee them. When world leaders talk about development, they target the economy, various working sectors, education, and socioeconomic conditions. Still, hardly there is any progressive policy or massive reforms taking place to help our environment. At the same time, most of us are waking up pretty late to the emergency calls made by our environment. A majority of us still consider it to be a trivial matter. Talking about pollution, climate change, and other related issues endlessly will not resolve the problems in hand, communication is valid only when necessary steps are taken to fix it. Taking a cue from the 16-year old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg going places to stir up that little change

“Sometimes, we just simply have to find ways. The moment we decide to fulfill something, we can do anything. And I’m sure the moment we start behaving as if we were in an emergency, we can avoid climate and ecological catastrophe. Humans are very adaptable: we can still fix this.

But the opportunity to do so will not last for long. We must start today. We have no more excuses.”

While there is worldwide awareness to reuse plastic, glass, and other non-biodegradable materials, there is barely any thought given to recycling electronic waste. Electronic wastes are non-degradable. They contaminate the air, soil, and water, ultimately affecting life on earth in millions of ways. The worst part is that they are rapidly filling up landfills.

In present times e-waste poses as the biggest threat to our environment. Think of the number of times we discard our cellphones, television, microwaves, and other electronic products without thinking twice about reusing or repairing them. Going by statistics, almost 800 laptops get dropped every second around the world; an average cellphone user rejects their cellphone every 18 months or even lesser than that. Our country India is amongst the top five e-waste generators in the world, and a good 82% of these e-wastes are personal devices. The numbers are going up at an alarming rate, yet we refuse to do anything about it. Our idea of MobiTrade was born from this state of anxiety about this situation. Instead of discarding your old cellphone, you can donate it to us. We refurbish them free of cost and give it to people who cannot afford to buy one. If you are looking to exchange your cellphone, we also provide the best exchange offers and refurbish your cellphone and donate it to people who need it. Our ideas are not just confined in the boundaries of recycling your e-waste. We plan to educate and grow mass awareness with our informative pieces of writing. We plan on building a community of strong advocates against generating e-waste. So for today let us take a closer look at how we can reduce this e-waste and recycle them:

Donate and don’t discard

The easiest way to stop generating e-waste is to donate it or sell it. Your waste can be a world full of opportunities for someone else. By selling off, you also end up earning some money that you can use to buy your next cellphone or laptop. There are loads of places where you can sell your electronic products. If you are looking to donate your cellphone for a cause or even sell it, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to refurbish your cells at zero cost.

Your discarded cellphone can help a child attain better education, or help a victim of domestic violence. Your e-waste can light up someone else’s home. Donate for a good cause and save the environment.

–     Navigate through your way of life

Most of us have a spare cellphone that we keep stored as a backup device we can use in case of some emergency. But instead of letting it drain its lifespan inside a drawer or almirah, use it as a GPS device. All of us rely on our cellphones for navigation, but we can fixate our old phones inside our car and use it as a GPS device. There are several other purposes that your old cellphone can serve; It can act as a music player or be used to monitor CCTV footage.

–       Your battery life can be longer than you think

The batteries present in most of our electronic devices are rechargeable. Rechargeable batteries are made up of highly toxic waste such as lead, lithium, graphite, plastic, and several other metals. In some states, there are strict Government policies which have made discarding them as waste as illegal. Fortunately, these kinds of batteries contain substances that can be effortlessly reused for other purposes.

–        Sharing is caring

A massive drift in our consumption habit has lead to the production of 300 millions of laptops and seven billions of cellphones in a year. There are many electronic gadgets already present in our households that we end up purchasing again. The easiest way to avoid buying surplus amounts is to organise your electronic gadgets. Another way is to share products such as chargers, USB ports, cords, Bluetooth devices, memory sticks, and other gadgets that we end up purchasing unnecessarily. Consider a ceiling fan that is used to air everyone present inside a room, or the one gas oven used to make food for the whole household. Similarly, electronic gadgets can be shared too. Consume wisely.

–       Nurture your electronic devices

Like a plant that needs to be watered, given adequate amounts of sunlight, and nurtured for its growth. Increasing the life-span of your electronic gadgets also requires some simple steps.

Prevent your personal computer’s hard drive from getting full for smooth running. Avoid frequently overcharging your laptops and cellphones by unplugging your equipment before it reaches the 100% mark every time. Use a back cover or flip cover and a screen protector for your cellphone. These will give you the much-needed protection every time you drop your cellphone by accident. Declutter your phone and laptop once in a while for the smooth running and higher longevity. A little will go a long way. These tiny steps of maintenance can expand the longevity of your electronic waste and also save you a lot of money.

–       Reaching for the clouds

Has your phone suddenly stopped working altogether, and you had to rush to get it repaired without securing your data? Our electronic devices are not recommended for storing data. With the availability of cloud storage free of cost or at affordable rates storing data is so much convenient on those platforms. The best part is these data will be accessible to you from any corner of the world. You do not need an electronic device to store your data as cloud storages provide you with a lot of more space and are more reliable than electronic gadgets. If you stop using electronic devices for storing data, it will stop getting manufactured. That will have a massive impact on the current scenario.

These are some of the natural and necessary steps that you can act upon to prevent electronic wastes from getting discarded now and then. A change is a gradual process, and there are many steps associated with bringing out the real difference. But every individual must adjust, accommodate, and adapt to the change. If we don’t start today, our planet will cease to exist shortly, and without the existence of life, every development model, every activism, and everything that we do will just be futile. The time is now to take matters in your own hands and help the planet survive.