Electronic Waste Recycling Day, held April 23 at the University of Southern Maine, was an overwhelming success, with over 770 cars and a total of 80,649 pounds of e-waste collected.

Volunteers moved cars through the parking lot as they unloaded broken air conditioners and ancient TV consoles. Someone even brought a desktop computer unearthed from their back 40. These instances illustrate that this event is an ideal way to safely dispose of products that contain hazardous waste such as mercury.

But what struck me most from my experience as a volunteer was the amount of functional excess that was brought to the event. Throughout the day, I found myself gaping at unopened ink cartridges; cables and cords still in the packaging; laptops and phones with the power cables and paperwork included with them. Maybe they really were broken. But maybe they were cast off simply because something newer came along.

What many well-intentioned folks don’t realize is that the items collected at this event are ground up, baled and sold as raw materials such as copper or steel on the commodities market. Although this is undoubtedly better than throwing them away in your trash, burning or burying them, the whole step of reuse (as in “reduce, reuse, recycle”) is often skipped out of laziness or ignorance.

As manager of USM’s Surplus Store, I encounter people asking for affordable used computers and printers: New Mainers, students, people starting businesses. When I think of the items that could have been donated to local nonprofits for a new life, I cringe.

Everyone wants to feel good by recycling. But reducing the need to constantly have the latest gadget, and then reusing old items by donating them, should come first.

Emily Eschner

Portland