The Tech Sector’s Bright Green Spots

Tech manufacturing and other industries are responsible for a wide range of deleterious effects on the environment, including the depletion of the ozone layer, the release of toxic substances that affect the environment at large and people, deforestation due to land use, eutrophication, the advancement of climate change, and the mining and overconsumption of limited resources like copper. But some tech companies have managed to find ways of doing business that maximize their sustainability and minimize their environmental impact.

An Example of Green Industry

One example of "ultra-green" tech industry leadership is Micro Solutions Enterprises, whose founders, Avi and Yoel Wazana, have thoroughly committed to becoming part of the solution by implementing some of the most sustainable business practices around. MSE, who have already recycled approximately 15 million cartridges since 1994, gather pre-used toner cartridges used in printing and then either repair them for resale, or remanufacture them completely. This practice serves two different environmental purposes: the reclaimed toner cartridges are prevented from taking up space in landfills and leaking chemicals into the earth, and many valuable resources are conserved, which would otherwise be gobbled up by making new cartridges from scratch. 

The Good News

Two-pronged approaches of this type are becoming more common among savvy entrepreneurs who want to reduce waste while streamlining production and reducing overhead. By the end of 2005, more than half of all states in the U.S. had introduced bills to minimize and/or regulate what’s called “e-waste.” And many manufacturers of high-tech equipment have partnered with nonprofits, retailers, and city and county governments to organize the collection of unwanted used electronics.

A Long Way to Go

But in terms of ease of use, cost, and breadth of scope, most American programs of this type fall far short of their counterparts in other parts of the world, including Japan and Europe. As of ten years ago, 95 percent of American consumers were not even familiar with the term “e-waste.” Though this statistic has improved over time, there is still a long way to go to raise awareness of the problem of e-waste, and design and implement optimal solutions.

The burden of improved sustainability practices cannot fall primarily on the consumer. It is vital for leaders at every level of government to join with businesses of every size to find ways to minimize the impact of humans upon our fragile ecosystem. If more companies would choose the path of green leadership followed by businesses like Micro Solutions Enterprises, the outlook for climate change and the other outcomes of environmental pollution could become much more hopeful.