A Reddit user has sparked an interesting conversation after sharing a photo of several vintage drills and tools their employer told them to toss out.
In the post, shared to the r/Vintagetools subreddit, the employee presented neatly lined-up, still-functional equipment with the caption: “Work wants me to e-waste these. Should I?”
The thread quickly took off as commenters debated whether the soon-to-be-retired tools should be preserved, donated, or recycled instead of being thrown away.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is one of the biggest and fastest-growing waste streams in the world.
What’s worse, unlike plastic bottles or cans, discarded electronics often contain valuable materials such as copper, rare earth metals, and even lithium from batteries.
When tossed instead of reused or recycled, these resources are permanently wasted. On top of that, it’s also a waste of the labor and money spent to produce them.
At the same time, e-waste can leach toxic substances like lead and mercury into soil and water, which can harm not only wildlife and the ecosystem, but also people in nearby communities.
In fact, according to a United Nations report, less than one quarter of 2022’s e-waste mass “was documented as having been properly collected and recycled.”
The report went on to explain that the figure translates to “$62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources unaccounted for and increasing pollution risks to communities worldwide.”
For consumers, there are often ways to extend the life of your worn-out tech or even earn something back. Resale, refurbishment, and trade-in programs can help you make money on your old electronics while reducing pollution.
Commenters were quick to side with the employee’s hesitation.
“Yes, directly into your trunk,” one responded to the poster’s question. The original poster was on board, saying: “Rescued — they are in my trunk now! Deciding what to do with them next.”
Others highlighted the sustainability angle, with one user saying of the OP’s trunk, “It is an alternate recycling receptacle that will result in the tools avoiding a landfill for an extended period of time. After which they will be responsibly recycled.”
Another commenter simply said, “If it were me, I would take them home and enjoy them.”
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