I was an only child until I was 12, and until my brother was
born, I was also the only grandchild. So my early Christmas memories involved
what seemed like mountains of presents that I tore into like a Tasmanian devil. It was awesome. J Once everyone finished their coffee and
changed out of their jammies, we filled giant garbage bags with the shredded
wrapping paper and torn packaging and set them out on the curb, where they'd
soon be joined by the used, slowly drying Christmas tree – all destined for the dump.
The grown-up greenie in me cringes at the thought…
But I was getting Barbie cars and Strawberry Shortcake picnic
sets and Ewok villages (I loved Ewoks…). For kids (and adults)
today, though, holiday gifts largely equal electronics in every size, shape and
variety. I'd bet a good chunk of those gadgets are replacing similar ones they
just got last year.
So what happens to the old ones? That's up to you.
If you got new electronics as a holiday gift, be sure to
recycle the old ones. Take old PCs and related accessories to Goodwill or visit www.dell.com/recycle. Take old mobile phones to your local
carrier's store. Not sure where to take your old e-stuff? Consult www.earth911.com.
Just don't toss them in the trash where they'll end up in a
landfill, or worse, in a developing country that doesn't have the infrastructure
to manage it responsibly.
Now, for the fun stuff. What was your favorite electronic
gift this year? Because I got a Roomba! 