Climate of Our Future

From CNN:

Materials company Pvaxx Research & Development, at the request of U.S.-based mobile phone maker Motorola (MOT.N), has come up with a polymer that looks like any other plastic, but which degrades into soil when discarded.

Researchers at the University of Warwick in Britain then helped to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed, which will feed on the nitrates that are formed when the polyvinylalcohol polymer cover turns to waste.

As a consumer, I have begun to amass piles of secondhand electronics, my immediate reaction to this is denial. I don’t see the 10 cell phones in the shoebox in the garage. I ignore the three different game stations in the attic’s busted up cardboard boxes. I pretend I don’t have that third iPod in the basket on my bookshelf. I don’t acknowledge the problem until I am overwhelmed by the problem Until my secondhand electronics seem to be crawling out of the woodwork like ants—I will do nothing.

Well, my seams are at a breaking point and I am beginning to admit I am powerless over my own desires. I want the new iPhone, I want the Wii and I want to get rid of my old iPod and my GameCube. But because I am lazy, I will probably think of my existing iPod and GameCube as barriers to my purchase of the iPhone. But only so long as I can stand it. Then I will break down and buy a Wii and an iPhone. Probably on the same day.

To be honest I wish my iPod and GameCube had one of those Sunflower seeds in it as documented by CNN. CNN documented a cell phone case manufacturer that builds covers that bio-degrade and sprout into a sunflower. If I knew a sunflower would grow—I’d open my sliding glass door and bury my Game Cube in a big pot and hope for the best.

But, because my GameCube won’t grow a sunflower or even a dandelion for that matter, I’d like to do something with my GameCube other than pass along my personal garbage to the local landfill. What I’d like to do is have a small box from BFI or Waste Management that I could drop an item or two into. I want Waste Management to pick up my iPod or GameCube and then tell me they have given me $25 in credit toward my trash bill. Then I will feel good on 2 accounts: 1) I believe that they are “recycling” the device & 2) I like getting $25 for my conscientious act.

Am I dreaming? Maybe. But I see a near future where most “hot” electronics are re-productized and sold into the second hand marketplace to “first-time” buyers. I can see a future where a preponderance of first time buyers of Apple’s iPhone are buying one secondhand. I can see a world where the trade-in of the iPhone is as simple as dropping it in a locked recycle bin so it can be circulated back into the marketplace. I can imagine a market where a first-time buyer of an iPod is buying the re-furbed iPod with a bio-degradable cover (that will sprout into a sunflower or, hell, a green bean plant or a stalk of corn).

Around Northern California the trend toward “green” initiatives” has penetrated all walks of life and if this region is a barometer for the rest of the country then look out for the next 1000 Prius’ coming to your community soon. Speaking of cars: we accept that we can re-purpose cars, vend them in as an upgrade path, and that more efficient/greener cars are on our horizon. I believe a similar trend will overtake the electronics marketplace. For a starting point check out the guerilla marketers over at http://greenmyapple.com or http://www.greenpeace.org/apple/ !!!

Everything iPod, green, green ipods, green my apple, greenpeace, recycle, recycle ipods, Recycle Your iPod

This post proudly authored by David.