Drucila
Posts: 47
Joined: 08/23/2006
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| Sony Finally Offers Recycling Program |
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Within the next year Sony plans to open 150 locations where you can drop off your old electronics for free instead of throwing them into the landfill to pollute for generations to come. Sony-brand electronics will be recycled for FREE! The program is planned to start in September according to an announcement on Friday.
Sony was heavily criticized by many groups for being one of the worst if not THE worst company for "green" products and recycling in the world during since ratings started coming out a few years back. Greenpeace puts out the most widely cited report, they ranked Sony in last place in the 2007 report published in March. They continue loosing business from enviromentally minded consumers to Dell and Apple who have had these free programs in place for years now. Greenpeace claims that Sony is part of a coalition that opposes producer responsibility in recycling in the United States. It also went on to say that Sony may be in last place because of the lack of a recycling program (until now) they did produce products that were free of the most deadly toxins.
Electronic waste has become a growing problem in the United States and around the world as the age of the internet and technology has grown and expanded since the 1990's. The price of gagets has decreased, faulty electronics gone to junk has increased; instead of being repaired. According to the EPA in 2005 over 2 million tons of electronic waste was dumped into US landfills but only around 350,000 tons was recycled. The problem is not only are these electronics not biodegradable but they leak poisonous toxins into the ground and water killing the plants, animals and people in nearby towns.
Sony is calling this new program the "Sony Take Back Recycling Program" which currently has 75 drop off locations planned in the US for opening on September 15. With another 75 to come shortly after that. These locations are operated by WM Recycle America. WM R.A. and Sony plan to extend the service to have one location in each state by the end of 2008. The goal is to have a center within 20 miles of 95% of the US population. Sony says that you many not only drop-off your Sony-branded electronics though you can also shop them to a recycling center.
The US locations is a good start but the problem is not only in the United States. One of the largest electronic waste problems are in China where a vast amounts of electronics have been sent as waste and to be "recycled". According to many enviromental watchdog groups there are so many toxic substances leeched into the ground that the area of Guiyu specifically is heavily polluted and dangerous to the health of the locals.
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| 08/19/07 10:35 |
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Meredias
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Joined: 07/05/2005
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| RE: Sony Finally Offers Recycling Program |
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well as great as it is to see Sony doing something, i find it a bit to late. My girlfriend is an environmentalist and i hear horror stories all the time.
People need to understand just how bad our planet is...it's falling apart. Our environment should be the NUMBER 1 CONCERN these days because it affects us all. no matter how many companies and governments come out and say "oh yea the environment is a concern and we are taking actions to correct it," i see little being done...what they are doing is NOT ENOUGH to fix the problem, just enough to slow it down a little, not much.
What needs to be understood is the fact that the environment is at a state right now where too much money is needed to correct it ...so much money in fact that no government is willing to put it out.
We spend our money on wars and oil and its obsurd. Each government only worries about their term...not the future because they don't make money for that...we let our environmnet suffer for selfish reason's and sit back and watch it crumble...it is because of all this that i have decided NOT to have children. i don't see the point in bringing another child into a world that is filled with scary possibilites that will be hitting us sooner then most think...
So, as great as it is to see Sony doing something...it simply reminds me that...it just may be to late...wheels are in motion and until we set up a road block and pay attention to the PLAENT WE LIVE ON and not MONEY we are living on thin ice....Rainforest is almost depleted, ice caps are melting..weird strange weather patterns...we are living in a disaster right now...
plz plz plz to all reading Dru's article and what i am saying now...fight for your planet...fight for your future...fight for your family's future and all those around you...we need to WAKE UP and tell the polluters that we are not going to take it anymore. I don't want to be around when S&*t hits the fan and unfortunatly i think i will be alive to see it all go down.
people think that it is out of are hands because we don't make the decisions...i am here to tell you it is not...get involved and do your part...if everyone were to do that we would have the power. i'm not trying to preach or anything but to be honest....i am scared...if expressing my opinion helps, then i am willing to do just that.
For those who arent scared by the future of our environment...i just don't know what to say....you should be...because this is nothing in comparison to what we are going to see 20 yrs from now.
I hope someone reads this and changes their ways...lol it'll make rambling on worth it ;).
By the way great article Dru...i love seeing environmental issues in the news.
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| 08/21/07 11:28 |
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