Going Green…
Seems like everywhere you look nowadays everyone and everything is going green. This is really a big topic in the A/V industry where energy efficiency and reusable resources are more important than ever. At CEDIA 2008 and CES 2009, manufacturers were demonstrating a variety of products which all contributed to overall lower level energy consumption. Some of the new materials are great examples showing how older electronics can be reused, while others were made from renewable resources. One area which could used a little more attention is the public’s awareness of electronic waste (e-waste) recycling. Approximately ten thousand cell phones end up in landfill…each day! Can you hear me now? Overall e-waste contributes about 22 million tons to landfill each year and 75% of the e-waste out there is sitting unused in garages, storage space and drawers. With the digital transition coming soon, how many TV’s will become obsolete landfill?
The Consumer Electronics Association has taken a proactive approach:
“CEA supports voluntary, market-oriented programs and initiatives, including industry-led standards, which highlight and sustain energy efficiency in the consumer electronics industry. CEA continues to work cooperatively with governments in the development of energy efficiency initiatives that complement and support voluntary approaches and continued innovation, expanded consumer choice, and enhanced product functionality. CEA opposes government-imposed approaches that stifle innovation, reduce consumer choice, and limit product features and services.
CEA members, through the association’s Energy Efficiency Working Group (EEWG), monitor, shape and support CEA’s public policy activities and industry initiatives related to energy efficiency at the local, national and international levels.”
For consumers, they have launched a great website, myGreenElectronics, which has lots of information, tips, and an energy consumption calculator.
Here are a couple of ways 8250 Theaterworks tries to be a little more green:
- All outdated working electronics are discounted to future projects if the unit has sustainable purpose or they are sold on craigslist or auctioned off on EBay (”One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”).
- All non-working electronics are recycled at a facility that does not landfill, incinerate or export to third world countries.
- All cardboard boxes from installed equipment is either stored for future use or recycled.
- All packing and shipping materials are recycled at a local shipping center (except shaped packing foam - so if anyone knows where and/or how, please share).
- We reuse wire and cable scrapes whenever possible
We will continue to recycle as much as possible and as technology moves forward we’re going to be looking to the future of energy efficiency to help our clients make choices which are right for the environment.
For further info on the web, see Electronic Waste on wikipedia.com
If you’re in Colorado, Utah or Nebraska, and need to recycle your electronics, please consider GRX
Tags: CEA, CEDIA, CES, Consumer Electronics, e-waste, electronic waste, recycle