Today we stumbled across this great post from Derek Markham at Twilight Earth. Derek breaks down the three R’s “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Of course, we tend to forget that reduce and reuse come before recycle. “The recycle message is the one that gets used (and abused) the most,” Derek writes.

We have to agree here. Many times people assume recycling is easy and that buying something that is “recyclable” will always help the planet, but that isn’t always the case. Just placing a plastic bottle into a recycling bin does not guarantee it will end up “recycled.”

At YouRenew, our first task is always re-use and we strive to find a second life for many of our electronics through wholesalers and refurbishers.

While recycling is important, it doesn’t effect the environment as much as reducing and reusing. This is partially because companies and factories are still producing the same amount of stuff. A combination of all three is the best way to make an impact.


Read Derek’s article “What’s greener than green? Brown.”

The team in front of the Apple cube

After a long day at the Apple iPhone launch in N.Y., YouRenew.com has returned victorious.

In the battle of old iPhone versus landfill, YouRenew.com is 1-0.

We arrived an hour before launch to greet some enthusiastic Apple fans. Although the crowd was smaller than the last launch, everyone seemed excited and interested in hearing about cell phone recycling.

Our first customer (from TheStreet.com) sold his old iPhone 3G while standing in line and used the cash to upgrade once he got inside.

We even got some interviews and were featured on CNN and CNBC! CNet put us into their live blog and mentioned us in their Podcast, The 404.

Rich reppin' YouRenew

Of course, having a giant iPhone mascot did help to attract the attention. But once we got people talking about recycling their old iPhones, it was easy to get them interested.

In total, we saved more than 100 cell phones from the dumpster at the iPhone launch and there are many more coming in through the Web site.

Most people were shocked by our offer to pay them for their iPhones.

“Wait, let me get this straight,” one new iPhone 3G[s] owner said. “I give you my old iPhone, and you give me cash?”

“yes,” I said.

“Really? What’s the catch?”

“No catch, we just don’t want you to throw it away.”

“That is awesome! I’ll do it!”

We’re glad so many people loved YouRenew.com and have decided to help us save the planet from e-waste. Although putting a little cash in their pockets may have helped convince them, we like to think they did it for the Earth too.

The YouRenew.com marketing team hit the streets of NYC today for the premier of the Apple iPhone 3G [S]. The flagship Apple store at 59th and 5th Ave. is buzzing and eager customers are lining up around the block.

If you’re in the neighborhood stop by and get cash ON THE SPOT today only for your original or 3G iPhone. What better way to finance a new 3G [S] than to recycle your old iPhone responsibly?

Check back throughout the day for regular updates!

6:56
Bob, James and the giant iPhone (Rich) are getting interviewed by the press. Crowd is excited….4 minutes to opening!

7:00
The crowd is filing in! So exciting!

7:02
Lots of cheers and clapping for the 3G [s] customers

Treehugger recently posted an article about the newest gadgetry to hit the green scene. It’s a USB hub that allows you to switch off certain USB cords in order to reduce unnecessary power.

They were reasonably excited about this new product. Claiming it will help eliminate“vampire power.”

While I’m very glad to hear energy saving ideas are being generated, I think this new helper is a big step in the wrong direction.

The amount of plastic and metal used just to make this thing completely defeats it’s environmental purpose.  The world would just be a bit cleaner if this tiny chunk of plastic didn’t exist.

Of course, we would have to muster up all the energy to unplug our USB devices by hand, but something tells me we could handle it.

I think products like this one are just riding the environmental bandwagon. I hate to see companies producing more stuff in order to “go green.” It’s a little counter productive and it does nothing to help one of the main pillars of eco-living: cutting down consumption.

It’s one thing to create a greener computer, car, mp3, etc. Those are all electronics we would use anyways, so it is actually wonderful when advancements are made to improve their efficiency.  However, this USB plug does not need to exist and it’s usefulness seems too minimal to justify the costs of making it.

I think it’s time we all remember what word comes first in the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

-Alysa

Be sure to recycle your electronics!

Its official, my Apple MacBook battery is dead.


After unplugging my “charged” laptop and discovering “charged” really means 15 minutes until shutdown, it became quite clear my 4-year-old MacBook pro has given up on me. It looks like my couch-computing days are over. My laptop is now on full-time life support.

Conveniently, Mac just released a brand new lineup of beautiful aluminum computers that claim the longest battery life…ever.

Not only is this great news from a technical standpoint, but it’s good for the environment too. More battery means less power usage and fewer upgrades.



I have never thought the phrase, “7-8 hour battery life,” could mean so much. But considering my Mac held a charge, at best, for 3 hours, I am impressed.

Basically, Apple has invented the holy grail of computer batteries. But, the upgrade was sadly overshadowed by the iPhone 3GS announcement at the Worldwide Developers Conference last week.

The latest MacBooks also promise a 5-year life span, which is longer than the expected life of the average laptop.
Anand Tech went to work testing the claims. And it seems Apple isn’t exaggerating. They found the batteries provided 8.13 hours of light wireless Web browsing and 4.92 hours of heavy downloading.

In addition to extending the battery life, Apple has redesigned the battery so that it’s slim and space efficient. Apple used custom lithium polymer batteries, which lay flat, instead of standard lithium ion batteries, which look more like AA’s.


Apple says that the extended battery life is due to a sensor that calculates the power needs of the battery cells and charges each one individually. This supposedly reduces wasted power by charging only the cells that need it.

Anand Lal Shimpi, who ran the tests, saw a 50% to 100% improvement in battery life over the old MacBook Pros.

Only time will tell if the 5-year lifespan will be accurate, but all signs point to yes. According to AnandTech, “Apple claims that most cells will hit 80% of their life after 200 – 300 charge cycles, but its special lithium polymer batteries will hit the 80% mark after as many as 1000 charge cycles.”

All talk of lithium and lifespan aside, if the battery really does last, I wouldn’t care if Apple told me they were powered by “magic.”

- Alysa

Make sure to recycle your old laptops at YouRenew.com