Latest news with #ewaste
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
With e-waste surging, DOE urges stronger action from state governments against illegal dumps
KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Malaysia is seeing a steady rise in electronic waste (e-waste) generation consistent with the country's growing dependence on digital devices, the Department of Environment (DOE) said today. Its director-general, Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar, revealed that from January 1, 2021, to June 30 this year, a total of 536,709 metric tonnes of e-waste were processed by licensed facilities nationwide. 'If e-waste is not properly managed and is disposed of indiscriminately, it can have serious implications for human health and the environment,' he said during the department's media engagement session today. To improve e-waste management, Wan Abdul Latiff said the number of licensed recovery facilities has been expanded to 128, public awareness campaigns have been strengthened, and enforcement against unlicensed handlers has been intensified through special operations codenamed 'Ops Hazard.' The director-general also issued a strong call for state governments, local councils, and land offices to crack down on illegal factories and unauthorised waste dumping sites. He said many illegal factories continue to operate unchecked until they cause significant environmental harm. 'These operations should be shut down early, not after pollution has already occurred. The same applies to illegal dumpsites that catch fire,' he asserted. When asked, Wan Abdul Latiff explained that the DOE does not have complete records on the number of illegal factories, as many are only detected during monitoring activities or through intelligence provided by other agencies. He highlighted the scale of the challenge, noting that in one recent integrated operation, 90 per cent of the 122 factories raided were found to be operating illegally. Wan Abdul Latiff also shed light on the manpower shortages hindering the department's enforcement capabilities. 'Right now, we have only 1,113 officers for all of Malaysia, and we are expected to monitor everything. But with our current staffing levels, it's just not feasible,' he said, explaining that his officers are responsible for a wide range of environmental issues beyond just air pollution. He confirmed that the DOE has formally submitted a request to the Public Services Department for the creation of up to 3,000 new positions to address this shortfall.
CNET
2 days ago
- Business
- CNET
You Can Recycle Your Old Computers and Printers for Free. Here's Where to Take Them
It's somehow really hard to get rid of your old laptops, desktops and printers, even when it's been over a decade since you last plugged them in. But recycling old tech is easier than you think and can free up a lot of space in your home. A CNET survey found that 31% of US adults are still holding onto old, unused devices, including laptops, because they're unsure of what to do with them. The survey also found that 19% of respondents just toss old devices in the trash -- which is actually illegal in many states and can draw hefty fines -- while 29% use a recycling service to dispose of old tech. But there are easy and sustainable ways to clear out all that ancient tech. Recycling computers and printers can be as easy as bringing them to major retailers such as Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples. Some stores will even give you credit for offloading your old devices, as hard as it might be to let go of them. Here's what you need to know about recycling your old tech. For more, learn how to recycle your old phones. What to do before recycling an old computer Wherever you choose to take or mail in your items to be recycled, you'll want to protect your data by removing it as best you can. One way to do this is to perform a factory reset on your computer. Our guide walks you through the process. Where to recycle old computers and printers Some retail stores will accept computers and printers for recycling, but it's not always a free service. Policies vary by company. Apple Store You can recycle your old Apple computers, monitors and peripherals, such as printers, for free at an Apple store, but there's a costly catch. According to the Apple Free Recycling program, you must also purchase a qualifying Apple computer or monitor to receive this service. Need another option? A third-party company called Gazelle buys old MacBooks to recycle them. After accepting Gazelle's offer, you print a prepaid label or request a prepaid box and ship the machine to them. Read more: Phone and Laptop Repair Goes Mainstream With Push From iFixit Best Buy stores Best Buy generally accepts up to three household items per household per day to be recycled for free, including desktop computers and printers, as well as other items ranging from e-readers to vacuum cleaners. While three is the limit for most items, there's a higher limit for laptops -- Best Buy will take five of those per household per day. Note that rules for dropping off monitors vary by state, and it's not always free to do so. Best Buy also offers a mail-in recycling service for select items, but that's also not free. A small box that holds up to 6 pounds costs $23, while a large box (up to 15 pounds) costs $30. Office Depot stores Office Depot and OfficeMax merged in 2013. The retailers offer a tech trade-in program both in-store and online where you may be able to get a store gift card in exchange for your old computers and printers. If the device has no trade-in value, the company will recycle it for free. Office Depot also sells its own tech recycling boxes that you can fill with electronics to be recycled and then drop off at the stores, but they aren't free. The small boxes cost $8.39 and hold up to 20 pounds, the medium ones cost $18.29 and hold up to 40 pounds, and the large boxes cost $28 and hold up to 60 pounds. Staples stores You can bring your old desktop computers, laptops, printers and more to the Staples checkout counter to be recycled for free, even if they weren't purchased there. The retailer also has a free at-home battery recycling box which, according to a Staples rep, has led customers to recycle thousands of batteries per week, up from an earlier average of 50 per week. Here's a list of everything that can be recycled at Staples. Read more: How to Factory Reset a MacBook, Windows Laptop or Chromebook Where to find an electronics recycling center If you don't live near a major retailer or would rather take your computers and printers to a recycling center, you can locate places near you by using search tools provided by Earth911 and the Consumer Technology Association. Earth911 recycling center Use the recycling center search function on Earth911 to find recycling centers near your ZIP code that accept laptops, desktops and printers. Note that the results may also turn up places that accept mobile phones and not computers or printers, so you may have to do a little filtering. Greener Gadgets recycling center Consult the Consumer Technology Association's Greener Gadgets Recycle Locator to find local recycling centers in your area that will take old items. The search function also allows you to filter the results to separately hunt for places that take computers versus printers.
CNET
22-07-2025
- CNET
How to Recycle Your Old Computers and Printers for Free
It's weirdly difficult to get rid of old laptops, desktops and printers sitting around your house -- even when it's been over a decade since you last plugged them in. But recycling old tech is easier than you think and can free up a lot of space for you. A CNET survey found that 31% of US adults are still holding onto old, unused devices, including laptops, because they're unsure of what to do with them. The survey also found that 19% of respondents just toss old devices in the trash -- which is actually illegal in many states and can draw hefty fines -- while 29% use a recycling service to dispose of old tech. But there are easy and sustainable ways to clear out all that ancient tech. Recycling computers and printers can be as easy as bringing them to major retailers such as Best Buy, Office Depot and Staples. Some stores will even give you credit for offloading your old devices, as hard as it might be to let go of them. Here's what you need to know about recycling your old tech. For more, learn how to recycle your old phones. Before recycling your old computer Wherever you choose to take or mail in your items to be recycled, you'll want to protect your data by removing it as best you can. One way to do this is to perform a factory reset on your computer. Our guide walks you through the process. Where to recycle old printers and computers Some retail stores will accept computers and printers for recycling, but it's not always a free service. Policies vary by company. Apple You can recycle your old Apple computers, monitors and peripherals, such as printers, for free at an Apple store, but there's a costly catch. According to the Apple Free Recycling program, you must also purchase a qualifying Apple computer or monitor to receive this service. Need another option? A third-party company called Gazelle buys old MacBooks to recycle them. After accepting Gazelle's offer, you print a prepaid label or request a prepaid box and ship the machine to them. Read more: Phone and Laptop Repair Goes Mainstream With Push From iFixit Best Buy Best Buy generally accepts up to three household items per household per day to be recycled for free, including desktop computers and printers, as well as other items ranging from e-readers to vacuum cleaners. While three is the limit for most items, there's a higher limit for laptops -- Best Buy will take five of those per household per day. Note that rules for dropping off monitors vary by state, and it's not always free to do so. Best Buy also offers a mail-in recycling service for select items, but that's also not free. A small box that holds up to 6 pounds costs $23, while a large box (up to 15 pounds) costs $30. Office Depot Office Depot and OfficeMax merged in 2013. The retailers offer a tech trade-in program both in-store and online where you may be able to get a store gift card in exchange for your old computers and printers. If the device has no trade-in value, the company will recycle it for free. Office Depot also sells its own tech recycling boxes that you can fill with electronics to be recycled and then drop off at the stores, but they aren't free. The small boxes cost $8.39 and hold up to 20 pounds, the medium ones cost $18.29 and hold up to 40 pounds, and the large boxes cost $28 and hold up to 60 pounds. Staples You can bring your old desktop computers, laptops, printers and more to the Staples checkout counter to be recycled for free, even if they weren't purchased there. The retailer also has a free at-home battery recycling box which, according to a Staples rep, has led customers to recycle thousands of batteries per week, up from an earlier average of 50 per week. Here's a list of everything that can be recycled at Staples. Read more: How to Factory Reset a MacBook, Windows Laptop or Chromebook Where to find electronics recycling centers If you don't live near a major retailer or would rather take your computers and printers to a recycling center, you can locate places near you by using search tools provided by Earth911 and the Consumer Technology Association. Earth911 Use the recycling center search function on Earth911 to find recycling centers near your ZIP code that accept laptops, desktops and printers. Note that the results may also turn up places that accept mobile phones and not computers or printers, so you may have to do a little filtering. Greener Gadgets Consult the Consumer Technology Association's Greener Gadgets Recycle Locator to find local recycling centers in your area that will take old items. The search function also allows you to filter the results to separately hunt for places that take computers versus printers.
Digital Trends
18-07-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
New biodegradable fiber tech help with e-waste
What's happened? Researchers from Seoul National University, led by Professor Seung-Kyun Kang and Dr. Jae-Young Baehave developed a groundbreaking biodegradable fiber that could revolutionize textile electronics, tackling the growing e-waste problem. This eco-friendly material, detailed in a July 2025 study published in npj Flexible Electronics, degrades naturally without harming the environment, unlike traditional electronic textiles that contribute to landfill waste. The fibers, made from renewable polymers, maintain functionality for wearable tech while breaking down in soil or compost. This innovation comes from a collaborative team aiming to make sustainable electronics mainstream. This is important because: Electronic waste is a global crisis, with over 50 million metric tons generated annually, much of it non-recyclable textiles embedded with metals and plastics. These fibers offer a dual win: they enable advanced wearable tech—like health-monitoring fabrics—while reducing environmental harm. Unlike conventional e-textiles, which persist in landfills for centuries, these fibers decompose in months, aligning with circular economy goals. This could reshape industries, from fashion to healthcare. Recommended Videos Why I should care? If you wear smartwatches, fitness trackers or other wearables, this tech could make your next device greener without sacrificing performance. It's a step toward guilt-free tech consumption, reducing the toxic footprint of discarded wearables. Plus, it opens doors to comfy, sustainable smart clothing that monitors your health or connects to your phone—without clogging up the planet. Imagine a future where your T-shirt powers your gadgets and then composts when you're done. Ok, What's Next? The team is scaling up production, aiming for commercial use within five years. Challenges include ensuring durability matches traditional e-textiles and keeping costs competitive. Expect pilot projects in medical wearables and sustainable fashion soon. Meanwhile, researchers are exploring applications in soft robotics and IoT devices. Stay tuned for brands like Patagonia or Nike adopting this tech for eco-conscious gear. How long do they last? This seems to be the questions on everyone's mind. Studies point to a number of factors that can affect the lifespan of biodegradable electronics, from the impact of soil, real-world use cases like 'bending' and rubbing etc.
Zawya
09-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UAE retailer Sharaf DG digitises e-waste collection
UAE-based retailer Sharaf DG has launched a digital initiative to streamline the collection and segregation of e-waste from households and businesses. The initiative is in collaboration with Renie, utilising recycling services by Enviroserve, the retailer said in a statement. When people deposit old electronics and appliances into designated bins at Sharaf DG stores, the system records the quantity collected and generates sustainable gifts. The e-waste collection drive reflects our commitment to the UAE's sustainability vision, said Nilesh Khalkho, CEO, Sharaf DG. (Editing by Anoop Menon) (
