Electronic gadgets provide various forms of entertainment and help make life more manageable. Television, dishwasher, heater, cell phones, laptops, alarm clocks are a staple at homes. However, home electronics pose a significant damage to the environment. Individually, energy consumed by each gadget poses little risk to the environment. It’s a different story when the energy consumption of all the gadgets a household has is summed up.
For the eco-minded on a budget, green living does not necessarily mean throwing all electronic gadgets altogether and replacing them with green gadgets. Rather, it's the sensible use of home electronic gadgets that can help reduce carbon footprint.
Unplug Gadgets When not in Use
Computers, phones, radios, televisions, etc, are energy vampires – they continue to suck up energy even when on standby. It is estimated that the average household leaves 20 to 40 gadgets on standby. Altogether, these contribute to 1 percent of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
To prevent energy waste and costs of leaving gadgets on standby, unplug the device when not being used. Also, unplug gadgets like cell phones and MP5s once they are fully charged. Another energy-saving option is to plug the devices into power strips. Power strips detect when devices are not in use and automatically cuts them off from the power source.
Optimize Use of a Gadget’s Many Features
Why buy a separate alarm clock or calculator when your cellphone is rolled out with both? Many gadgets today combine the features and uses of many devices, cutting the need to buy other gadgets in the process. For instance, cellphones can be used as ebook reader, alarm clock, calculator, game player, and more. That rolls 5 or more gadgets into one device. This also reduces the number of devices one has to charge up on a constant basis.
Never Throw Away a Working Device
Most gadgets, such as cellphones, game boys, and laptops, have years of life to them. Yet research shows that approximately 140 million users ditch their phones for the latest model every 14 to 18 months. By prolonging the use of one’s gadgets, e-waste can be minimized. Another green computing option is to sell the device to a buyback program.
Turn Off WiFi, GPS, or Bluetooth When not in Use
These features are power hogs, quickly reducing the battery life of devices. By turning off these features when not using them, one can extend the battery life of one’s laptop, cellphone, or ebook reader. The longer the battery life, the less often one needs to recharge.
Adjust Gadget Settings
Most new TVs and PCs are delivered to your doorsteps with their picture-related settings (e.g. brightness and contrast) set to the maximum. Check the settings. Reducing the brightness and contrast settings of the device can also reduce its carbon footprint.
Simple measures like the above can help lower greenhouse gas emissions from household electronic devices, minimize e-waste, and reduce energy bill. Using gadgets in a green way does not only keep the earth healthy, it also helps save money.
Cecille de la Cruz - Cecille is a health-oriented individual, and love sharing with other people the results of her research about health and wellness. You can ...
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