7 Ways to Greener Gadgetry ...

Don’t leave your cell phone or MP3 player on charge overnight or all day. They can’t be charged beyond the battery limit so by leaving them plugged in after being fully charged is just a pure waste of energy.

Where practical there’s actually no need to keep things on standby. Microprocessors are so competent that they remember all the settings of your particular gadget so you can turn things off completely. For example, turn off the satellite receiver at the mains when you go to bed and then turn it on when you want TV after work the next day.

Battery operated items are a prime way to greener gadgetry. Our remote controls, flashlights, kids toys, etc. all require batteries. Switch to rechargeable ones. There’s the initial outlay to buy charger and rechargeable batteries but it works out a lot cheaper in the long run. Don’t throw old batteries away – recycle them. Batteries can be harmful to the environment because they contain heavy metals which are contaminants that cause pollution in the air and in water sources when combusted or they leak in landfill sites.

Hanging washing on the line is a much better idea than using a tumble dryer. A dryer produces about 160kg of CO₂ each year all of which goes straight into the atmosphere. There’s also nothing quite like the smell of bed linen that’s been wind blown dry.

Another way to go greener with gadgetry is by not overfilling your kettle if you are boiling water for just one beverage or for a recipe that calls for a specific measure of hot water. Only boil just a bit more than you need. You should also treat your kettle to a regular descale if your water is hard. Calcium carbonate build up means it takes water longer to heat up. Using only filtered water will also improve the performance of your kettle plus it tastes better too.

If you have an inkjet printer that you don’t use for business purposes, there’s nothing wrong with the quality produced by remanufactured ink cartridges. Even better, use refillable ones. Some printers however, simply won’t perform with non-original cartridges – for example HP. I learnt my lesson and my next printer wasn’t a HP one.

One of the easiest ways to be greener with gadgetry is to recycle. I’m a recycling nut. If I find something has a use after I no longer need it or it’s finished with then I will recycle it. Mobile phones can be recycled for cash or charity. UK charities accept inkjet cartridges for recycling. I know they aren’t gadgets but recycling schemes for clothes, shoes and even spectacles all exist.

I hope you find these ways to greener gadgetry useful. Even by implementing just a few of these tips you’ll not only be conserving energy and helping the environment but saving money too.

Top Photo Credit: Webbelina