Tag: landfill

Recycle Technology with the Help of Goodwill and Dell

Recycle Technology with the Help of Goodwill and Dell

Dell Reconnect

Dell has partnered with Goodwill to make it simple to recycle technology and keep it out of the landfill. Donate unwanted technology including computers, monitors, printers, scanners, hard drives, keyboards, mice, speakers, and cables to Dell Reconnect to help protect the environment, support Goodwill’s mission of putting people to work, and get a receipt for tax purposes. Dell has made real strides in reaching its own moonshot goals around improving sustainability. For example, their “moonshot” goal of, “By 2030, 100% of our packaging will be made from recycled or renewable material” has already achieved 85% in 2020.

While Dell is a major manufacturer of technology products, the resources they have provided are not limited to Dell Products. Other manufacturers and stores such as Staples also provide recycling resources. This article focuses on those from Dell.

Find a location and drop off

More than 2,000 Goodwill locations across the U.S. are participating.  Use this link to find a location near you today.

Recycle Batteries, Ink & Toner Cartridges and Packaging

In addition to Dell Reconnect, Dell also offers links to help you recycle Batteries, Ink & Toner Cartridges, and even your packaging waste.

Ink & Toner Recycling

Dell offers two ways to recycle ink & toner cartridges: use their mail-in program or drop off at a participating Goodwill through the Dell Reconnect program.

Donate to Dell ReconnectDrop off your used ink and toner cartridges at a participating Goodwill and Dell will recycle it for free. Plus, everything you give helps create jobs and skills training for people in your community. Donate

Free Battery Recycling

Dell has partnered with call2recycle to recycle used computer batteries. Call2Recycle handles other types of batteries also. Visit their website https://www.call2recycle.org/ for more information.

Each year billions of batteries end up in landfills, where toxic metals could enter the waste stream and possibly harm our environment. Recycled batteries enable valuable metals to be recovered and used in new products such as making new batteries, pots, pans, golf clubs, or silverware.

To do your part, recycle your used batteries at any one of our certified drop-off locations.

Packaging Help

Many packaging products are recyclable or can be composted. Regardless of where your product comes from, visit https://corporate.delltechnologies.com/en-us/social-impact/advancing-sustainability/how-to-recycle/recycling-your-packaging.htm for more information on what to do with boxes, packing envelopes, product cushions, shipping manifests, plastic bags, and more.

Only 9% of Plastic is Recycled

Only 9% of Plastic is Recycled

With statistics showing only 9% of plastic is recycled, more needs to be done. Recycling is an ideal method of keeping plastics out of landfills and eleswhere in the environment, but many other options are equally beneficial methods of reducing the amount of plastics in landfill or in the ocean.

The variety of plastic types includes a complex array of items that can and cannot be recycled, leaving the consumer the job of determining which to trash and which to recycle. Further complicating things is that some parts of a package may be recyclable while other parts are not. For example, often plastic bottles can be recycled, but their caps cannot. Including non-recyclable items can damage recycling equipment and increase the cost by requiring careful sorting. Many plastic containers contain food, liquids, or other contents that should be cleaned prior to recycling. Even labels can gum up recycling equipment. All of these factors increase the cost and effort required.

reusable water bottle
Photo by Kate Trifo on Unsplash

Reducing our reliance on single-use, disposable packaging can make an equal or larger impact than recycling. Multi-pack and bulk items can provide a better ratio of packaging to products and many companies are making efforts to reduce excess packaging. Other companies are testing alternatives to plastic as packaging materials, including plant-based materials that decompose more easily.

Choosing products packaged in glass or metal are another simple option. Glass and metal are much more efficiently recycled than plastics. Additionally, glass and metal containers can easily be cleaned, reused, and repurposed. Choosing a reusable water bottle over disposable plastic bottles can be a simple act, significantly reduce one of the biggest sources of plastic waste, and be a healthier choice by avoiding exposure to chemicals from cheap plastic bottles that can leach into the water.

Other simple choices include using real utensils rather than single serve plastic ones, grouping shipments to reduce packing, using your own bags when shopping, or buying secondhand. Small changes do make an impact.

Photo by Antoine GIRET on Unsplash