Earth Day may be over, but sustainability and eco-initiatives cannot be relegated to a single day, week, or month. To make any impact in today’s hyperconnected and tech-centric world, they must be sustained long-term via thoughtful, engaging actions. For example, e-waste or electronic waste from old, dysfunctional, or discarded electronics is a considerable concern. Every year, millions of electronic devices or products are discarded and thrown away in landfills, many of which have hazardous or harmful materials inside that can poison the ground soil, water sources, and nearby communities. It’s essential to not only intelligently dispose of these old devices but also find new ways to reuse and repurpose them so that the materials don’t go to waste, let alone harm local communities.
We can all contribute to creating a more responsible, sustainable future by making the right choices, and Dell is making that possible. Thanks to advanced technology offers on PCs and accessories that are meant to help reduce e-waste. Dell has adopted the mantra “repurpose, reuse, and rethink” for a good reason. Many featured products are purposefully built with recycled plastics, shipped in renewable packaging and materials, and ultimately meant to help cut down on society’s collective wastefulness so you can save big and feel good about it all.
How Dell is shaping the future of sustainability
The prevailing theme for this year’s Earth Day was “Planet vs. Plastics.” The idea is to highlight how damaging the material can be for the Earth, the environment, and humanity. A goal has also been set to push towards a decrease in plastic production, with the hope of seeing a reduction in its use of 60 percent by 2040. That’s because the plastic and materials used to create modern electronics eventually become e-waste. Obsolete devices, broken devices, and even the annual upgrade for things like mobile devices and smartphones create a flood of disposed electronics that must be dealt with. While there are ways to recycle these devices, and we highly recommend doing that instead of just throwing them out, an alarming number still end up in landfills and other disposable areas.
Dell’s sustainability mission can help fight that, effectively reducing our reliance on plastic and its rapid production and mitigating e-waste that would otherwise negatively contribute to our planet. How? The tagline: Repurpose, reuse, rethink. We can significantly lessen our overall impact by recycling and reusing materials instead of producing new ones. Fewer materials end up as e-waste in landfills and dumps as they are used for new products. Meanwhile, there’s less need to chase down rare materials that can be repurposed, especially when their acquisition alone can impact the environment — Lithium is a great example.
Dell is going even further by also using recycled packaging and renewable materials for shipping and other means. That’s before you even factor in their design standards, which follow EPEAT, Climate, and ENERGY STAR certifications for improved efficiency.
We all eventually need a new computer, laptop, or device. However, when it’s time for an upgrade, why not consider following sustainability practices and lessening your impact on the environment and your local community? Dell is making that possible, and together, we can shape a brighter future.