40 Once-Modern Devices That You Might Never Have Encountered In Your Lifetime

Many of us have that one drawer, or cupboard, or room. You know the one... it's home to the things that don't have their own dedicated place. My son calls it the "junk room." It might have a box filled with old chargers, cables, or even outdated mobile phones that have been relegated to the proverbial bench. Maybe there's a laptop in there, or an ancient Sony Walkman that you'll probably never use again. But you just don't have the heart to let go of it, for the sake of nostalgia.

As technology keeps up with the times, so to do we. Upgrading, buying, trading in, swapping, selling, hiding old gadgets in the "junk room" or chucking them in the bin. But did you know that not disposing of outdated, obsolete or broken tech items properly can actually be dangerous? Not only for the environment but for people and animals too...

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), millions of electrical and electronic devices are discarded. These discarded devices are considered e-waste, and they've become one of the fastest growing solid waste streams in the world. We're talking things like computers, mobile phones, large household appliances, and medical equipment.

"Millions of tonnes of e-waste are recycled using unsound activities, as well as being stored in homes and warehouses, dumped, and illegally exported," reveals WHO. But here's the scary part... The organization warns that when e-waste isn't recycled properly, it can release up to 1000 different chemical substances into the environment.

These are known as neurotoxicants and include things like mercury and lead, which can be particularly hazardous for pregnant women and children. ​​"Many of these toxic materials are known or suspected to cause harm to human health, and several are included in the 10 chemicals of public health concern," reads the WHO website.

It's estimated that less than a quarter of the e-waste produced globally in 2022 was known to be formally recycled. A lot ends up in the trash can, finds its way onto the mine dumps, and into the hands of waste pickers who are hoping to make a penny from someone else's junk.

"Children are often involved in waste picking and scavenging, burning discarded e-waste, and the manual dismantlement of items into component parts," reveals WHO. "In some countries, children may serve as a source of cheap labour, and their small hands give them an advantage in taking apart the smallest items. These activities directly expose children to injury and high levels of hazardous substances."

The World Health Organization notes that working as a waste picker is hazardous labour and is considered one of the worst forms of child labour by the International Labor Organization (ILO). It adds that in 2020, the ILO estimated that as many as 16.5 million children globally were working in the industrial sector, of which waste processing is a subsector.

While you're unlikely to come into contact with toxic substances while handling your (working) gadgets, the same can't always be said for the person who picks them up after you've dumped them. And the earth also suffers. "When they become waste, these toxicants can be released into the environment if the devices are managed using environmentally-unsound practices and activities," reads the WHO site.

Among the "unsound practices" are scavenging, dumping on land or in water bodies, landfilling along with regular waste, open burning or heating, acid baths, acid leaching, stripping/shredding plastic coatings, and manual disassembly of equipment.

The best way to get rid of that old but functional phone, laptop, television, or gaming console is to donate or sell it to someone who'll be able to use it. As the saying goes, "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

Upcycling is also an option. I saw a marketplace advert the other day for an iMac that had been converted into a mirror. And I have a friend who creates artworks out of old e-cigarettes. There's also a Kenyan artist called Cyrus Kabiru who turns electronic waste into flamboyant eyewear. He's making a bold fashion statement while raising awareness about e-waste, reusing, and upcycling. Cape Town-based jewellery designer, Ashley Heather, uses reclaimed circuit boards to craft minimalist jewellery.

The Columbia Climate School believes that the best thing you and I can do to slow down the e-waste problem is to hold off on buying new devices, gadgets, or electronic equipment until we absolutely can't anymore.

"Try to get your old product repaired if possible and if it can’t be fixed, resell or recycle it responsibly," suggests the school's site. "Before you recycle your device, seal up any broken parts in separate containers so that hazardous chemicals don’t leak. Wear latex gloves and a mask if you’re handling something that’s broken." Columbia adds that you should always find a responsible and ethical recycler to whom you can hand your e-waste.