e-waste is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation’s waste supply,  comprising 5% of the country’s total trash volume. According to EPA, 3.01 million tons of e-waste, from cell phones to computers, was generated in 2007, and only 13.6% of that was recycled. The real danger is the toxic substances contained in electronics including lead, mercury, brominated flame retardants, phosphorous coatings, and PVC plastics, that create dioxins when burned. These toxic materials can be easily released upon disposal, posing a threat to the environment and your health. 



So what is a tech-savvy, yet environmentally conscious consumer to do? Recycling retired and non-working electronic items is the first obvious step. But another great strategy is buying refurbished.



Refurbished electronics are simply electronic items that cannot be sold as new. Maybe it was an iPod with a scratched glass face that was sent back for repair, or perhaps a stereo whose packaging was damaged in transit to a retailer, and although the unit inside was perfectly fine, the store decided to return for repackaging. The manufacturer cannot sell any item either returned or repaired as new, so the alternative is to sell them as refurbished at a much reduced cost.



Refurbishing electronics saves new raw materials from being used in manufacturing, while keeping units out of the landfill. Simple decision, right? The stumbling block for many consumers, however, is the question of guarantee. The lure of buying new is strong because if something goes wrong with the item, consumers know they can return it. Buying refurbished items can make consumers antsy because they don’t know if something was faulty with it in the first place, and if they’ll face more problems. The problem, however, is more of perception than actual risk. Buying from a reputed dealer of refurbished electronics such as Dyscern.com can relieve much of the worry. A reputed dealer has a reputation to protect, so they won’t benefit from selling faulty merchandise. To back that up, Dyscern.com offers a 30-day guarantee on every item they sell, which gives the consumer time to make sure the unit is in good working condition.



When weighing the options, buying refurbished often not only makes eco-green sense, but money-green sense as well. When given the option of buying one item brand new for maybe $100s more than the identical refurbished item, it’s a no-brainer for many folks buying on a budget.?

Comments