What is best in life

To crush aluminum cans, to see them driven to the recycling plant, and to....wait that's not right. But it is a little bit funny. Sometimes you just have to not take things so seriously to get someone's attention. Awareness about recycling and taking an interest in sustainability does not have to be so stiff.

I have found that humor is one of the best ways to reach people when dealing with a serious subject is to make them laugh. In life, there is little more important than laughter. Adding a little levity can do a lot to humanize what may be viewed as a cold and dispassionate topic.

There isn't a lot funny about environmental concerns but I think we can all take a moment to not take life so seriously all the time. Have a happy holiday and remember to properly dispose of your waste. Or Conan will be there the following morning.

Our top 10 Recycled Christmas Decorations

We talk a lot about repurposing materials. We did some searching and found some cute ideas that people came up with to decorate with hacked trash. These are our top 10

Penguin Ornaments (lightbubs)

Soda Top Wreath

Perfectly On Key

Easy to Dew

Gift Worthy

Now your Tree can run Crysis

Perfect for the geek in your life

Someone drank a lot of soda to make these

The tree of the future

And my personal favorite

The Grinch that trashed Christmas

Many many years ago, there lived a man who cared nothing for his fellow man. Such was his disdain that he made no effort to show anyone any kind of respect or consideration. Worst of all, he was wasteful. He had more than anyone could ever want and three times as much as any one needs.

Each year when holiday time rolled around, he would spend to excess and buy all sorts of things for himself. But rather than keep or repurpose his old things, he would throw them away. This was upsetting to many of his neighbors. They knew of many less fortunate families with children who could use what he was wasting. From time to time, these neighbors would reach out to him and try to convince him to recycle or donate what he no longer needed. Sadly, he would lash out and tell them it was none of their concern.

Each year millions of tons of electronic waste are sent overseas to developing nations and not recycled or disposed of properly creating toxic living conditions. Don't be a Grinch. Recycle what you can this year and make the holidays happier for everyone for years to come.

Third World Blues

During the holiday season, we generally try to be more generous to one another. Our efforts to care about our fellow man seem to be more concerted and we seem to be more aware of those in need. What we don't always see is the way that our disposal of waste during the holidays impacts the world around us.

The holidays are a time of year for giving and being with family. Lots of food, gifts and fellowship. As anyone who has been the host of something like this can tell you, the mess can be intimidating. Even more so, the amount of waste produced has to go somewhere. With families around the country all having events like this, the impact of that waste can be devastating.

The bloat of waste dumping offshore during the quarter following the holidays increases every year. This year make an effort to reduce your waste produced. Recycle and dispose of those batteries that every device uses properly. Give your neighbors across the oceans the gift of a cleaner next year.

Fundraising Basics

In the past, we have touched on the topic of fundraising several times and the benefits and challenges associated with taking on this sort of thing. The reality is that no matter what your cause, raising money for it can be intimidating. How do you ask people for money?

Acting altruistically is the main reason people start a fundraiser. But capitalizing on someone's willingness to donate to your cause can be daunting. In many cases, people don't have the same passion that you do for your cause. This can lead to frustration, and in many cases, abandonment of the project altogether. But don't be discouraged. There are ways to raise money and awareness for your organization and below are some steps to make it easier on you and your potential donors.

First, you have to make it easy on the donor. This seems like common sense but most people fail to understand that someone may not be all that enthusiastic about your cause. Making it easy for them to be a part of it makes it easy for them to feel like they made a difference with little to no effort. Remove the barriers for entry and you will find more people willing to back you.

Second, find something that either costs them nothing or gives them more than what they feel like they paid for. In a world that is inundated with charity organizations, people tend to be spread thin on giving so making them feel like they either got something of value in return or lost nothing in the process makes this easier on them.

Finally, make sure you express your gratitude for their involvement. Following up with people to thank them for their involvement and show how their contribution made a difference is key to retaining them as potential future supporters. Again, it would seem like common sense but many people neglect showing appreciation and this may cause more churn in your support than is necessary.

These simple steps can make all the difference in reaching a goal and the frustration of failure.

End of the Line

Most people think of the end of a phone's life as the day you replace it. The truth is the end of life for most devices is much further along.  The majority end up in either landfills or get shipped overseas to underdeveloped nations.

In reality, there is a dark and toxic end to most of these stories. In most cases, a device will end up rusted, corroding, and seeping chemicals into water supplies and soil. This can go on for years and ruins farmland, drinking water and in some cases, the atmosphere in the surrounding area.

Are you directly responsible for this? No. To blame every person individually for something that is out of their control is ludicrous. But can you help stop this? Absolutely.

By preventing the device from making it to the dump you can prevent this. Reclaiming used devices through sites like Pandabit can slow and even stop this form of pollution. Even if you don't use us, Use something similar. Help make a difference.

Statistics can be scary

Do a quick google search on electronic waste and you will see pages upon pages of statistics regarding production, dumpsites, and loss leaders. Those numbers can be intimidating to those who are uninitiated or not familiar with the space. But they don't have to be. 

In reality, the statistics are less important to the individual than that persons individual impact. The statistics are not really what matters in the grand scheme of things. What matters, is the effort of a person. 

Measureable numbers put out on a global scale are intimidating to anyone. How can one person make an impact on something so huge? It's an old adage but it holds true in this situation. How does one swallow an elephant? One bite at a time. It seems so siimple but every little contribution made towards the end goal has an impact even if it isn't measurable to the naked eye. Knowing that you did your part can be satisfying though. 

Worry less about the numbers and more about the effort. It will scare you less.

Are you really recycling?

Earlier in the week we posted a few quotes about recycling. These were by design and hold true in a lot of respects. The truth is, if you aren't on the back end of the recycling process, it's pointless. More directly, if you are not buying recycled products, then the recycling process is completely useless.

Follow the logical thought progression and it will make sense. Recycling is about reusing the products that were already processed and refined. This is meant to conserve natural resources and reduce the footprint on the environment. The proverbial hitch in the giddyup here is that if you aren't a part of the process of actually using these products then it's a zero sum. Unconsumede recycled products actually increase waste. The energy used to recycle in addition to producing new products has a greater negative impact.

The moral of the story here is that when you recycle there is another side to the coin. Consumption of the products is as important as the recycling effort itself. Finish what you start.

State of Decay

We can all agree that electronic waste is a problem. How big the problem is has been in question for quite some time but the measurable impact on the environment is staggering. Each year the footprint of electronic waste increases. Fortunately there are remedies that exist with new innovations occuring all the time.

The decay of electronic components left in dumpsites is one of the leading causes of toxic waste among these sites. Many components contain small amounts of mercury, levels that are insignificant on their own, but in amounts that can aggregate in landfills to levels of toxicity that is relevant to the surrounding areas. 

Capacitors, batteries, memory modules and many video components contain heavy metals that can poison water supplies. These effects don't go away over time. Water supplies can be damaged for decades due to the impact of electronic waste. The decay of the housing of these devices may slow the impact for years. The impact is real though. It's a time bomb that has an unknown countdown. 

You can help though. Go to www.pandabit.com to learn more. 

When the well runs dry

Sometimes the money runs out. Sometimes you have sheared the sheep too many times and it has no wool left. Sometimes the way you do things just doesn't work anymore. So what do you do when the well runs dry?

Simple - you dig a new well.

It seems like common sense but sometimes when that perplexing issue comes up people become paralyzed at the thought that their means have been cut off. The innovative and those who take inititaive look for alternate solutions. In some cases, they create one. 

Fundraisng is an age old concept. The first newspapers were crowdfunded. So was the Statue of Liberty. It's hard to imagine that with the limited technology that things like crowdfunding have existed for the centuries that it has. The way something is used is what shows innovation. 

Nihil sub sole novum - there is nothing new under the sun. While this is true, there are always new ways to innovate and use existing methods in new ways. Even fundraising can learn something from this school of thought. Try this lifehack. Repurpose your old mobile technology. Use it as a vehicle to fund a cause. Platforms exist to create your own fundraising campaign with no investment. You take a full benefit with no expense. This is efficient fundraising. 

Why we raise

Every year we see the same catalogs with the same candy or cookie dough from the same kids. Each year we shell out a few bucks because these kids are raising money for some nebulous concept that we are loosely informed about. We give because of the kids, not because of the product. We never really look to see what the cause is or why the money is raised. 

I have a few nieces and nephews ranging in ages from 2 to 16 and every year one of them is raising money for something. This year I asked my nephew what he was raising money for, and he looked at me like I had 3 heads. It never occurred to him that someone might ask questions. I told him that if he could tell me what he was raising money for and why it was important to him, I would buy from him. Of course, I planned to do it anyway. But I wanted him to learn a lesson about the why behind fundraising. 

He came back a few hours later with a much better informed answer about the what and why of hte fundraiser. It was for his JROTC trip to the Boeing Museum. The school doesn't provide money for trips like this and the opportunity to learn about aerospace science is lost in most schools. It was important to him because he wants to learn about flight and be like his step dad, the aircraft engineer. 

A few days later he asked me why I wanted to know about the fundraiser and my answer was simple. I told him that if he is going to get someone to care about his cause, he needs to know about it and care about it as well. It's disingenuous to ask someone else to support a cause you yourself don't support. He asked "what if I didn't care?" "Then why should I?" was my response. He laughed and I could tell he understood.

The lesson here is that you need to know why you raise. If you are ill informed about your raise and the cause behind it, no one is going to take you seriously or the organization you represent. How you raise money, as long as it's legal, isn't nearly as important as why it is important to you.  

Raise, call or fold?

It's that time of year again. Shortly after you arrive home from your work day you will most likely hear a knock on your door. Or perhaps you have children that age that will return home from school one day with some sort of catalog or a nondescript box of candy to sell. Yes, the pre-holiday season fundraiser push is about to go into full swing.

Whether it's candy, cookie dough or some other product, you can be assured someone will be selling it. The diversity of fundraising mechanisms have changed throughout the years and some organizations are exploring methods that are not centered around product sales.

Statistically, these models don't pay a lot of the principle raised to the beneficiary. the majority of the money goes to fulfillment of incentives and paying for product as well as the partner company. THis leaves roughly 10-15% for the organization. That amount of money is roughly the same margin as most restaurants that have to operate continually and in high volume to sustain themselves.

A newer model focused on reclamation and recycling of old technology has been making a push for the past few years and tends to pay a higher percentage to the organization. These models have no carry on inventory and are far less risky with a lower barrier for entry. They also operate with no minimums on amount raised to receive a significant payout. This sort of revenue sharing model is more progressive and many companies are trying this low risk alternative as an augment to existing platforms. Check out www.pandabit.com to learn more about how you can use this type of platform.

The Vicious (re)Cycle

Technology is a wonder to behold. Look around and you will see it everywhere. Few people think about where these marvels originate and even fewer think about what happens when they become obsolete or outmoded. Many end up in dump sites overseas waiting to be reclaimed and recycled. 

This sort of dumping is common worldwide. It's an economic mode for many nations to capitalize on the waste of others. Many recycle and reclaim the materials dumped on their shores. But what do these methods do to their ecosystem?

The majority of dump site nations have limited technology to recycle complex electronic components. Burning is the most common method to remove plastic and other dross to reclaim heavy metals with a high value to electronics companies. It seems simple enough. Many companies smelt off dross to claim valuable ore type materials. The issue is the overall impact of these processes. 

Burning plastic creates toxic fumes and residue that can kill in the right amounts. The impact to air and water supplies can be staggering. The lack of education of the local populace is problematic and the governments allowing this to continue is socially irresponsible. Do what you can to help slow this process at www.pandabit.com.

Reclamation Worldwide

There are many ways to prevent electronic waste but the vast majority of countries where this is an issue don't have the technology to dispose or reclaim the waste in a way that doesn't cause long term damaging effects to their environment. Looking at statistics, Guiyu province in China is the world's most polluted and dangerous area for electronic waste, yet the country continues to use it as a dump site. While this is the extreme of examples given, there are many more stories just like it.

Many poorer nations in the world allow larger more advanced countries to dump thier waste on their shores for profit. Where the dump sites able to handle the influx and toxicity of the waste in a responsible manner, this wouldn't be an issue. The reality here is that most don't have reclamation methods advanced enough not to destroy water and soil resources in the short and long term and end up damaging their own sources of drinking water and land for food production.

There are alternatives, however. Many nations have ways of safely reclaiming and recycling their waste. Much of what is dumped has value and can be reclaimed for use in similar industries. The transition will not happen overnight but knowledge of the alternatives and the impact of current state of things is imperative. Find out how you can make a change at www.pandabit.com.

Not many people think about what happens to their garbage once it leaves their curbside. For many, that is where the journey, and the thoughts of what is at the end of that journey, stops. The reality is different for many in nations where offshore dumping is commonplace.

Millions of tons of electronic waste is dumped in African and Asian nations annually. Many of these nations have reclamation processes to recycle this waste but the methods are crude and usually involve burning off polymers to get to the more valuable metals. this pollutes the air, soil and water of these regions for decades following.

The primitive processes used in these regions can have long reaching effects. Few of these are as extreme as Guiyu, China, a primary dumpsite for many nations. Watchdog agencies classify this reagion as nearly as toxic as Chernobyl and the effects are projected to be as long term as the fallout from that reactor meltdown. The toxicity here is a silent killer as well. Pollution hangs heavy in the air above the region and the water and soil are slowly poisoning the residents.

There are better alternatives. Recycling and disposing of your electronic waste through drop off sites or selling them to reclamation groups is a better way. The higher tech facilities can safely remove the valuable components and minimize environmental impact. Plus you may be able to reclaim a little of your investment in your device. Go to www.pandabit.com for details.

Burning waste has been a practice used by mankind for centuries. Fire has a cleansing property that can sterilize and decontaminate. Over the years, though, mankind has evolved and so has the technology we use. We are able to reclaim much of what we waste. Burning waste is a thing of the past in most countries. Many nations in Africa and Asia still practice this, lacking more advanced waste disposal.

Previously, we established that millions of tons annually are dumped on the shores of these nations. A lot of this waste is burned to remove it from the areas it is dropped. Much of this is electronic waste composed of chemicals, polymers, and metals that react badly when burned. Toxic chemicals are released into the atmosphere and the smoke and soot cling to the plant life.

This can be problematic. Toxins released into the air are silent, invisible killers. These mix with rainwater in the atmosphere and form caustic rain that can poison plant life and ruin soil and drinking water. Burning electronic waste doesn't fix the problem. It creates a bigger one. Several to be precise. But there is a solution. Several, to be precise.

Recycling and properly disposing of electronic waste is so easy that there is no reason for it to exist in the foreseeable future. Companies who buy used devices and locations with battery and device disposal are easy to find. Anywhere within 30 miles of a major US city will have multiple locations and companies like PandaBit do the work for you. Go to www.pandabit.com to find out more.

Water is the most abundant resource available on this planet. That being said, it is also a finite resource. Clean water is a whole other story, however. Clean, potable water is so scarce in some nations it could be used as currency. Living in the comfort we do, sometimes we take for granted that we can turn a tap and have clean water any time we want it.

Probably once or twice a week, you take your garbage to the street and leave it to be picked up by a crew of men and women who then take it off to be processed and dumped at a waste disposal facility. That is the end of the thoughts for most people about what happens to the waste they generate.

So what does the first thought have to do with the second, you may be asking. In many instances, the waste you generate, in the form of electronic waste, may end up dumped on the shores of another nation. Millions of tons of material each year in the from of cell phones, batteries, monitors and computers are dumped each year in third world nations who have no real way to process this waste. Much of it ends up in waterways and sources that these people use for drinking water.

The components in most electronics contain mercury, zinc, magnesium and other metals that when dissolved in water can change the pH and make it toxic. With no way to address these concerns or properly deal with the mounting waste, the ecological systems around these underdeveloped nations suffer from substandard drinking water and unprocessed electronic waste.

There is a solution. By recycling your electronic waste you can make a dent in this huge problem. Environmental crises are everyone's problem. Go to www.pandabit.com to find out how you can make a difference.

The environmental impact of electronic waste can be felt across the world, but most heavily in third world nations. Each year, millions of tons of electronic devices are dumped on the shores of African nations and much of south east Asia. But it's not hitting our shores, so why should we care. 

The global effects of the environmental impact of toxic electronic waste can be felt worldwide. Polluted air and water in addition to toxic soil can damage a nation's sustainability from an agricultural standpoint as well as being bad for the environment. Many of these nations don't have the resources or technology to properly dispose of this waste. Many just burn off the excess putting toxic fumes into the atmosphere. The remains get buried and end up ruining the soil for years. 

So again, why does this matter to any of us? This has an economic impact on global economy. That's right, it affects your money. By not reclaiming and recycling this waste, the cost of electronics will continue to increase. There are a finite amount of resources and heavy metals used in productions are becoming more scarce, and logically, more expensive. 

Recycling and properly disposing of this type of waste isn't just ecologically conscious. It's smart money. Consider it a future discount on your electronics purchases. To learn more check out www.pandabit.com.

Laptop computers are more common than ever, today. When you buy a new computer, one of the first decisions is whether to get a laptop or desktop and most people lean towards mobility. The convenience and versatility make for a much more attractive solution.

As technology grows, the number of consumers who are first time buyers dwindles. Technology is an integral part of our society and as time goes on, the demand is even greater. As this trend continues, we need more materials to produce these devices that we are constantly replacing and upgrading.

So what happens to the old laptop that gets replaced? Sometimes it ends up as a hand me down. Sometimes it gets resold or stripped for parts. Most times, though, it's thrown out and ends up in a landfill. There is a large amount of electronic waste that is produced by old laptops.

The various models have different parts that may or may not be able to be recycled. Odds are though, the motherboard, battery and ram can always be reused in some way. To learn more about how your laptop can be repurposed go to www.pandabit.com. There are many places to drop off your old devices and have them properly disposed of.

 Go buy a new battery for your car, and odds are you will be charged a "core charge" for the battery. The good news is you can get this back. All you have to do is take the old battery back into the store with the receipt and you are refunded the charge. 

What you may not realize is that this is actually incentive to properly recycle and dispose of battery waste created by the automotive industry. A lot of people don't realize that the chemicals and metals used in the manufacture of these batteries can be dangerous if not disposed of properly. 

But why is this relevant to an organization that recycles electronic waste? Why would Pandabit care to post about the dangers of battery waste generated by automobiles? That answer lies inside each mobile device you own.

Batteries for mobile devices have been made of different things throughout the years. What started out with Nickel-Cadmium components has evolved into Lithium Ion and Lithium-Polonium(much less common) pieces. Most of what these batteries are composed of are considered to be heavy metals, and in water, the atmosphere, or food, can be toxic.

Most electronics retailers have a place to drop your old mobile device batteries for disposal or recycling. This has been common for roughly 10 years. But you paid for that battery whether you realize it or not. It has some value, however small it may be. Most people don't realize that even a dead cell rechargeable battery has some value just from it's components. The automotive industry pays you to recycle. Why shouldn't the mobile industry? 

We do. Pandabit takes working and non-functional devices and may be able to put a little change in your pocket in the process. Check out www.pandabit.com to learn more.

Look around and you can't throw a stone in any direction without seeing someone on a mobile device. Mobile phones, tablets, and laptops are everywhere in our society. With the constant need to upgrade and have the latest technology drives our economy.

But where do the old devices go? No one really thinks about where their last generation devices end up. With over 300 million people in the US alone those numbers can be staggering. Think about this - If only half of the US population owns a mobile device, that's over 150 million devices. With upgrades every 2 years that's about 75 million devices a year that are discarded. Those are some impressive numbers. What does this mean to you. though?

Simply put, the United States generates a lot of electronic waste annually, a lot of which comes from mobile devices. To put it in perspective, there is a little over $60 million per year in precious metals alone that could be recovered if properly recycled. That means, less drain on resources, better more efficient use of what we have, and in the end, more readily available new electronic devices.

A lot of the issue isn't just economic, though. Much of it stems from the concern of what type of environmental damage is done. The majority of the hazardous and toxic waste generated by mobile devices comes from the batteries. These can have a detrimental effect on water sources and damage soil and air, depending on how they are disposed.

PandaBit has taken the stance that recycling and preventing electronic waste doesn't have to be boring or tedious. Get paid for doing something positive for the environment. To find out more, visitwww.pandabit.com.