Paper? Plastic? Trash? Where does your old computer, gently used i-pod, or outdated i-phone go? What do you do with your e-waste?  

Everything is going green, but what about technology? With faster, sleeker versions of i-phones, i-touches, i-pods, what happens to all the i-garbage?

I recently attended a green home tour in Portland Oregon and saw examples of innovative re-uses of materials, such as blue jeans as insulation, a bowling alley floor as a countertop, and bicycle parts as a railing.

I wondered what is happening with technology? Are we just digging deeper landfills? Breathing in more toxins? I’ve seen computer chips on necklaces and earrings, but I believe these serve more of an aesthetic purpose than for actual sustainability.

You may be familiar with some of the buzzwords, such as “designing for deconstruction,” or the “lifecycle” of products, but what does this really mean? I wanted to know and decided to do some research, starting with Apple since our family boasts several Apple products. So, what happens to my i-phone, or my husband’s more likely, when he decides that 3G is just too slow? 

I looked at Apple’s Web site and indeed, they have an area describing the lifecycle and environmental footprint of their products. The highest percentage of environmental greenhouse gas emissions goes into product use. Apple is trying to counteract this by making their products more energy efficient. Recycling accounts for the lowest percentage of greenhouse emissions. Apple uses less material and valuable recyclable material in their products. Good to know! You can bring used Apple products to an Apple Recycling Program center.

So, what else can you do to be more green with your technology use or dis-use? Try these…

• Give old computers to a computer recycling that donates used computers to schools, nonprofits, and low-income families.
• Recycle earbuds into speakers, using disposable cups, scratch paper, or tin
• Install a free piece of software called BOINC from Docking Home to volunteer your computer's idle time to find cures for diseases such as HIV, breast cancer, Parkinson's, and arthritis.
• Encourage friends and co-workers to recycle their electronic trash. Lead the charge by purchasing a collection box (Technotrash can) for wayward technological devices.
• Use rechargeable batteries
• Pull the plug when not using electronic devices
• Purchase energy efficient products
• Buy used products. Do your research to ensure that you are not buying a product with harmful toxins in it.

I’d love to hear other suggestions or creative uses for old technologies. I can only imagine the possibilities…