What You Don't Know Can Hurt Me

You may be surprised at the difference that you can make in the world, in the lives of others, and for future generations. The personal effort may be very small, small enough to fit in your hand or in your pocket, and perhaps that is why it is so often overlooked.

Do you have an old cell phone lying around the house? Do you have a piece of forgotten and forlorn electronic equipment on a shelf, in a drawer, or stored in a box that has been gathering dust? Maybe you paid a considerable amount for that now antiquated PC, or perhaps that cell phone seemed inexpensive when you signed on for that long term contract. In either case, what is it worth now?

When contemplating the value of expired electronics, most people gauge the value of the device based on the usefulness of it in his or her personal life. As technology races forward, many of these electronic devices become the victims of upgraded models, and are stockpiled in a closet until the day that they are quietly tossed with the trash. But what you don't know, can hurt me.

500 Million computers became obsolete by the end of 2007, according to a Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, "Globalization, extended producer responsibility and the problem of discarded computers in China: An exploratory proposal for environmental protection". Worldwide, only 10% of all obsolete computers and other electronic devices are recycled. Areas in Asia and Africa that import electronic waste have suffered contaminated drinking water and poisoned wildlife in local lakes and rivers. Would anyone actually believe that contaminated water will be contained to one geography? And what about the landfills in other countries that are full of electronic waste that was merely tossed with the trash?

Many manufacturers have already changed the production process and are actively selecting materials that can be recycled. This includes a significant reduction or elimination of hazardous materials, like lead solder that was once the staple for many devices. Many of these proactive manufacturers have also taken steps to adjust packaging, using recycled materials and reducing the size or box. These are proactive measures by responsible manufacturers to protect the environment. These same manufacturers have also discovered that smaller boxes mean more per truck, consolidating and reducing freight charges, and they have discovered the reclaiming materials can be substantially less expensive than mining and refining raw materials that are carved out from mountainsides. Many well known brands are actively sponsoring return and recycle programs for consumers, but is it working?

Nokia conducted a survey to measure the effectiveness of consumer awareness regarding recycling. In a poll that spanned 13 countries, and more than 6,500 people, Nokia confirmed that 72% of the people surveyed believe that recycling makes a difference in the environment. Unfortunately, 74% of the same people surveyed admitted that they never thought of recycling their old cell phones, and only a mere 3% had actually ever recycled an old phone.

The survey by Nokia included Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, India, China, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and the United States of America. The results were shocking, enlightening, and remarkably consistent. 78% of people in Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Brazil did not consider recycling their unwanted cell phones. 84% in India had not considered recycling their old mobile device. Overall, 71% of the people polled admitted that, even if they wanted to recycle the unwanted old mobile device, they did not know how to go about doing it.

Nokia has the single largest voluntary mobile phone collection scheme in the industry, with more than 5,000 collection points established in 85 countries around the world. Between 65-80% of the individual Nokia devices can be recycled, including the small amounts of metals. The plastics that cannot be recycled for burned to provide energy for the recycling process, and other materials are ground up into chips and used as construction materials or for building roads. In this way nothing has to go to landfill.

Pause for a moment and take a personal inventory of the electronic and electrical devices that surround you. Lamps, computers, printers, television sets, VCR's, DVD players, MP3, batteries, appliances, and the host of devices that you have accumulated at the home and office. When carelessly discarded, the hazardous substances in those devices decompose and escape into the water supplies. When placed in the hands of a collector for recycling, precious metals and materials can be reused, and the hazardous materials properly handled. By reclaiming and reusing materials, we reduce demand to excavate new raw materials. At the same time, by contributing to the reuse of these materials, you are helping to reduce the costs for future products. It is estimated that 27% of the cost for materials in consumer electronics is based on the mining, fuel for refining, and the transportation of the raw materials.

It is such a simple thing, really. So much attention has been given to measuring carbon footprints, preserving the rain forest, and scientists debating global warming. As a captive audience, we read and listen to these debates with detached, entertained, and sometime annoyed, interest. As a society, we believe that recycling is good for the earth, but as individuals these other topics may seem beyond our limited reach. The next time that you reach for your cell phone, computer, or remote control, remember that you have the power to make a difference right there in your hand. Use your computer to look up the nearest recycling center or local collection event. Share a little irony, but telling these statistics to someone on your cell phone, and encourage another person to participate in recycling unwanted electronic waste. Get your children involved and let them be the ones to carry the unwanted devices with you to the recycling center. After all, they will inherit the earth that you preserve.
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Words of Wisdom

"My wife is always trying to get rid of me. The other day she told me to put the garbage out. I said to her I already did. She told me to go and keep an eye on it."- Rodney Dangerfield

"Knowledge is essential to conquest; only according to our ignorance are we helpless. Thought creates character. Character can dominate conditions. Will creates circumstances and environment."- Anne Besant

"We are here on Earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I don't know."- W. H. Auden
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"John is the most qualified person to write about authenticity and integrity. I have learned the importance of being a trusted advocate for my co-workers and clients from John on a personal level and from his excellent new book.

I would recommend this book to any business person, whether or not they are a sales executive, because it will teach and reinforce how important it is to act with integrity in the business world.
Acting with integrity and authenticity will give you a competitive advantage and allow your clients to look to you as a trusted advocate."

Mike EasterbrookDirector of Environmental ComplianceARC International Corporation

The Trusted Advocate: Accelerate Success with Authenticity and Integrity is available now online in hardcover and paperback from www.Amazon.com (Hardcover), www.Amazon.com (Paperback), www.BarnessndNoble,com, www.Borders.com, www.Target.com, www.Buy.com, ,www.iUniverse.com, and many other fine booksellers.

About the Author:
John Mehrmann is author of The Trusted Advocate: Accelerate Success with Authenticity and Integrity, the fundamental guide to achieve extraordinary sales and sustain loyal customers. John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital. www.ExecutiveBlueprints.com provides resource materials for trainers, sample Case Studies, and educational articles. http://www.InstituteforAdvancedLeadership.com provides self-paced tutorials for personal development and tools for trainers. Presentation materials, reference guides and exercises are available for continuous development.