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.