Daily Archives: August 22, 2013

Cashing in on E-Waste

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Written by Ian Bellamy

What do you do when your mobile phone dies? It’s a shame to simply throw it away, especially since it’s loaded with gold, silver, copper and other valuable raw materials.

Not to mention larger electronic devices, such as computers and tablets.

A German company, ALBA, has agreed to work with their national post office, who will collect any old electronic devices that will fit in an A4-sized envelop. The company will then harvest materials and reuse up to 80 percent of them.

Germany gets over 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, and has one the most developed recycling programs in the world.

There is, according to treehugger.com six categories of recyclables in place:

  • the yellow bin for packaging materials,
  • the brown bin for compostables,
  • the blue bin for paper,
  • the white glass bin,
  • the colored glass bin, and
  • the grey bin for the rest of the trash.

Recycling programs such as these are not unheard of. Cell for Cash (who is not currently accepting orders) was known to take old mobile phones and refurbish them for sale in developing countries. The Cash for Clunkers program in the U.S. would also scrap the old vehicles for the metal.

E-Waste is becoming a bigger problem day in and day out, as it accounts for 70 percent of overall toxic garbage.

According to Recyclebank, a company that encourages people to recycle, “The total annual global volume of e-waste is expected to reach about 40 million metric tons. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that we generated 1.5 billion pounds of all kinds of e-waste in 2006. This includes an estimated 44 million computers and televisions.”

Of course, this is only going to increase in time as more people get cell phones and computers and the rate which technology is becoming updated.

It’s harmful to see retired cell phones as “waste,” because in fact it is a resource. A functional phone can be donated, and a broken one can be refurbished or recycled. With the amount of e-waste that is already present and the amount that we will produce in the future, it is inevitable that we will have to keep in mind our limited resources, especially with regard to rare-earth minerals that are found in everyday devices.

We can expect that as the problem of e-waste becomes more dire, we’ll see more programs and companies, and it appears that Germany is leading the way.

Arizona State Seeks Funding and Help for New Football Stadium

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Written by: Eric Forthun

Arizona State University has played in Sun Devil Stadium since 1958, yet they are now searching for a new means to make the stadium more viable. The current stadium, which consists of metal bleachers and older construction (only costing roughly $1 million at the time of build), has been home to professional teams like the Arizona Cardinals, and has hosted countless bowl games and sporting events.

The attempt to build a new stadium, though, could cost upwards of $300 million, a hefty amount for a new college stadium that would serve as an upgrade to the standing body. There is support amongst individuals in the community, particularly the school’s representatives, who see this as an option to not only earn money in the long run, but provide a memorable experience for students. Most do not care for the stadium’s older look and lack of accommodations, but the new upgrade could potentially allow for more amenities for students to search for during breaks.

Another major complaint about the current stadium is the lack of shade it provides, which is one of the largest factors in the new design. Large, wide-spread canopies would cover the stadium, or at least the bleachers, in hopes of providing viewers with more preferable situations. Officials hope that this will not only draw in more customers and students, but also allow for better viewing and more comfortable playing for the football players.

The cost, though, no matter how justifiable for the large upgrades planned, is still struggling to get support. While there are some who believe that the sporting events will draw in money, there are others who don’t see the cost as justifiable in the long run. Especially with the problems arising in public education right now, and the general lack of support amongst students for more ways to spend money that doesn’t go toward actual education, there isn’t enough of a claim by the university to warrant the cost.

The fight will persist, and the university hopes that the new stadium can shed light on the university as one of the top in the country. The new innovations, though, won’t be a complete remodeling, but a sign of rebirth as the college continues to thrive off of its widespread recognition. The football team, with a new coach and new hope for next year, wants there to be more public support for the team and the university itself, and the public may start to come around once the funding feels more opportune and appropriate.

As of now, though, the support isn’t substantial enough to mean anything, which will show the university what needs to be done to make the changes necessary.