Happy 40th Earth Day: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Today is the 40th annual Earth Day, a global celebration of our wondrous planet. It’s a day for remembering that the mantra Reduce, Reuse, Recycle doesn’t just apply to the water bottle you’re drinking from or the eco-friendly handbag made from recycled seatbelts. The choices you make when buying, using, and getting rid of your tech can also have an impact on the environment and your personal carbon footprint. Lucky for you we’ve made it easy to make greener choices.

Reduce

Drawing power for our laptops is a necessary aspect of life, but some are better at power efficiency than others. The more efficient, the less energy used, the greener you are. Plus, a lower energy bill is its own reward. In our annual Green Choice Awards we tested 21 netbooks and notebooks to determine overall eco-friendliness, including the amount of watts they gobble. Click here to see which systems get the gold green star.

If you’re not in the market for a new notebook, you can still reduce vampire power with iGO’s line of adapters and surge protectors. We’re fans of the iGO Laptop Charger, which knows when to shut off, thus using 85% less standby power. And today you can get a 20% discount if you order through iGO’s website by using coupon code EARTHFOLLOWER at checkout.

Reuse

When you no longer use or need that old notebook, MP3 player, or mobile gadget, what can you do with it? If you can’t or don’t want to give it away to someone you know, consider trading in your old tech for discounts on new purchases, gift cards, or even cash. Many of the programs that accept older, gently-used technology resell, refurbish, or repurpose it, giving the gadgets you no longer want a second life and keeping them out of a landfill. Click here to find programs for trading in your laptop, mobile phone, and other gadgets.

Recycle

If your laptop or other gadgets are too old to earn you some cash, you should still send them off for proper recycling. The components and/or batteries inside might contain harmful chemicals best kept from landfills. Most of the trade-in programs for laptops and other tech will also take recyclables for no fee. Either drop them off at a designated location near you or get a pre-paid envelope or mailing label so you can ship it from home.

And if you’ve got some batteries to dispose of, be sure you’re doing it properly. Some can go in the trash, but others should be sent off for recycling, too.

Keep an eye on the Earth Day tag for more green news and products.