Written by Zaki Numani

We live in an age of constant tech innovation – devices are produced and sold faster than ever before and are a common staple of most of our daily lives in more and more ways. The vast majority of our electronics, however, are not built to last forever. They stop receiving updates, devices slow down, and battery life reduces – our electronics are built to be replaced, often in what seems to be increasingly smaller intervals. Once we get around to replacing them, it’s easy to overlook how they’re disposed of and any leftover utility they might have, but this aspect definitely shouldn’t be ignored. When they prematurely end up in landfills or incinerators, these components can do serious damage to humans and our natural places. Utilizing the proper disposal techniques can help circumvent that damage.

Our devices get replaced earlier than they need to. Tech companies often encourage this by promoting an urgency to upgrade to the newest cutting-edge devices. As well as discouraging and/or preventing repairs on older devices that could be kept alive longer. These still functioning devices end up in a variety of places but don’t often make it into the hands of people who would still be interested in using them. Even when these devices are used through their whole lifespan, disposing of them safely can also prove a challenge as the proper methods are not always clear. These devices are filled with precious metals, reusable components, and dangerous chemicals like battery acid. Making sure all of these components end up in the right places is a important way to ensure we are being good stewards.

Repowered Electronic Recycling is an organization that helps Minnesotans manage their electronic waste. Repowered collects electronic recycling waste from around the Twin Cities and either resells it, recycles it using the proper methods, or sends things they can’t recycle to organizations that can. Repowered has a 4 step process: collection, sorting, identifying salvageable vs. repairable, and resale. Residents of the Twin Cities can come drop off their electronic recycling waste at the donation center and bigger recycling waste can also be picked up by Repowered trucks.

Individual products that can be repaired are resold on Repowered’s website as well as sites like E-Bay, including laptops, cell phones, video game consoles, etc. Items that can be collected in bulk (like keyboards, monitors, etc.) are resold wholesale. Items that cannot be resold are torn down to components and then resold or redistributed in parts. Individual parts like computer chips, usb ends, etc. are slowly collected and can be resold to manufacturers or electronic repair companies who can use them. Finally, parts that can’t be reused such as batteries are checked for damage or any compromise to their shell before shipping them to other recyclers. Repowered partners with other regional recyclers who can dispose of certain items that they can’t, like CRT T.V.’s. Through partnerships with municipal governments, residents of the Twin Cities may already be familiar with Repowered through local mailers.

Repowered’s main mission is giving second chances. “We believe in fair chances for people, planet, and technology” – Heather Walch (CEO of Repowered). Repowered set out with the initial goal of creating more opportunities for residents of MN who experience barriers to employment. In the process, they discovered the lack of electronic recyclers in a world dominated by e-waste. By doing this work, they bring together the community and in the process are care for our shared natural places and give a second chance to people and technology. As residents, we can do our part by keeping our technology for longer periods, repairing when possible, buying used, and when the time comes using the proper disposal methods.