This is rather a disappointing news. Best Buy, a company that used to recycle any used electronic products from customer for free, now has to charge a $25 fee for every TV and computer monitor drop-off. This is mainly due to the increasing amount of e-waste received, leading to higher recycling and transportation costs, and also the fact that the company is the sole e-recycling provider in many towns in the U.S.
The news makes me reflect on my own behaviour of disposing e-waste. For the past ten years, I have possessed four cell phones and two laptops. Every time I get a new cell phone, I have trouble finding ways to get rid of the old one. I could have sold them, but it has been increasingly hard to sell seconded phones because they become outdated so soon given the pace of technology advancement today. I knew I should not disposal them along with other household waste, but I had no idea how to dispose them responsibly. So, at the end they ended up in the storage room. Out of sight. It was only until recently that a separated bin was assigned for the disposal of electronic products at my apartment building. Still, I have no idea where these e-waste are being sent to and whether or not they are getting the proper treatment. There is simply far too few legitimate places to dispose e-waste responsibly and laws regarding the process.
I also think that electronic manufacturers should bear their own share of recycling responsibility by having an inclusive recycling program like the ones offered by Best Buy and Dell. A cradle-to-cradle process design is fundamental to sustainable operation in the e-industry, especially when material costs are rising rapidly due to the declining resource availability. On top of its environmental benefits, companies can recycle and reuse certain components, such as gold, to generate significant cost savings. Therefore, I believe there is a business case for recycling e-waste, and manufacturers should switch their mindset around to see e-recycling as an opportunity rather a liability.
Article Reference: http://www.greenbiz.com/article/too-much-good-thing-hobbles-best-buys-e-waste-recycling
I definitely agree with you. I am very disappointed in Best Buy’s decision to charge customers for electronic product wastes. TV and computers are fairly large and heavy enough objects and by adding a monetary barrier. However, luckily for us, I think that the fee is only for the US resident. It seems like the Canadian locations still accept the products free of charge (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/help/small-electronics-recycling/hc8185.aspx). I do see that Best Buy is faced with a burden of disposing these items. However, at this age where many large industry leaders are pursing greener practices, Best Buy should have came up with a better solution. What does the $25 fee really mean? Are they only encouraging the LOHAS to use their recycling program? I truly hope that Best Buy develops a more accessible solution to their customers as soon as possible.