As we seek ways to responsibly care for the world we have been given, St. Matthew is excited to offer a simple yet impactful service as part of our participation in the Bishop’s Challenge to lower our environmental footprint.
Drowning in Discs: The Growing Problem of E-Waste
If you are anything like me, you have a fair amount of CDs you no longer need or want. The nature of my business requires me to have multiple layers of redundancy in backing up the work I create. That equates to hundreds of CDs and DVDs that I need to turn over every few years, not to mention all the old software and music disks I have. Now add in the CDs St. Matthew generates that our homebound members return to us (so we can reuse the mail sleeves) from the audio recordings of the weekly services. That’s a lot of media. To put it in perspective, in the next five years, individuals and organizations in the U.S. will generate a technology waste stream that includes:
- 500 million obsolete PCs
- 750 million used cell phones
- 1.5 billion empty inkjet cartridges
- 10+ billion old disks and CDs
As contributor Ethan Geehr points out, individuals and organizations are projected to generate a massive e-waste stream, including over 10 billion old disks and CDs and 750 million used cell phones.
From Obsolete Software to New Office Supplies: How GreenDisk Recycles with a Purpose
I try and recycle as much of my old electronics as possible (hard drives, computers, cables, peripherals, monitors, etc.) and I wondered if anyone provides a recycling service for digital media that could securely destroy any sensitive data. My search led me to GreenDisk.
GreenDisk is a business that initially focused on the need among software publishers for a secure system of disposal of their unsold packages of obsolete software. Their client’s primary concern was for the destruction of the intellectual property but GreenDisk’s concern was for accomplishing this important task in an environmentally responsible manner without compromising security. They began to offer their secure disposal services to a wider range of clients. The company now serves publishers, businesses, government agencies and individuals who have similar concerns about their data and the environment. They have established a network of strategic alliances, both for profit and non-profit companies, that allows them to utilize existing manufacturing and recycling facilities. They also partner with a network of nonprofit workshops providing employment for people with disabilities. GreenDisk reuses first and recycles what is left. The recycled materials generated are then used to manufacture their own line of office supplies, completing the circle–use-reuse-recycle.
St. Matthew is offering this service as part of our participation in the Bishop’s Challenge which looks at ways we can lower our environmental footprint and responsibly care for the world we have been given to steward. The shipping container located in the lobby is for anyone who wishes to recycle any of the following:
- Rechargeable batteries
- CDs, diskettes, audio and video tapes
- Old cell phones, pagers, and PDAs
- Inkjet, laser printer and fax cartridges