If you have electronics to throw away, putting them in the regular trash is a good way to cause unnecessary pollution. Companies like Samsung often offer ways to turn in your e-waste for correct disposal. However, they're meant to be used for actual waste, not for working devices like the smartphone that one Redditor found at their local Samsung e-waste dropoff.

What's happening?

The original poster shared photos of their find on r/vintagemobilephones. "Got this from an e waste bin in a samsung store," they explained.

The photo shows a Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 smartphone with the screen lit up, in good working condition. In a comment, the original poster explained, "I was at the Samsung store with my dad and I was digging for phones. The only thing interesting I found was some parts for an s22 Ultra and some phone cases, and there I found it, and the worker said I can get the phones."

While this is good news for the original poster, it's a sad story for the world. Every day, companies and individuals throw away working computers and smart devices in favor of more recent tech. While an upgrade is sometimes necessary for advanced applications, this is more often a search for newer and fancier features that aren't necessary to the function of the computer or phone.

Why is unnecessary e-waste important?

When working electronics are discarded prematurely, the energy, labor, and resources invested in their manufacturing are wasted. Businesses and individuals end up spending way more than necessary on new devices, while we put extra strain on our natural resources to keep up with the demand.

Meanwhile, too many of the discarded items end up in landfills, with plastic components emitting methane while the internal electronics emit toxic chemicals that seep into the groundwater.

Is Samsung doing anything about this?

By providing proper e-waste disposal, Samsung is helping to reduce the harm of this pattern of overconsumption. Items returned to a Samsung store can be correctly recycled, reducing the need to mine raw materials for new electronics, and can be kept out of landfills. This is much better than simply throwing out a working device, and is the correct way to dispose of a broken one.

That said, the worker who allowed the Redditor to take this phone may have done so improperly if the phone had not already been wiped of the previous owner's information. From the post alone, it is unclear if this had happened. Before recycling an old phone, it's important to be sure to research how to encrypt and erase your personal information.

What can I do about the e-waste problem?

If you have a device you want to get rid of, first determine whether you really need to replace it. Sometimes, cleaning up your device storage or upgrading one component can meet your needs.

If your device is broken and not readily fixable, consider turning it into e-waste through programs like the one at Samsung stores or Trashie's Tech Take Back Box. Some organizations, including Trashie, will even offer you rewards for them.

If you really need to get rid of or replace your device, but it still works, try finding it a new home. You can sell it secondhand, donate it to a thrift store or charity, or give it away via a buy nothing group. That way, it won't go to waste and will stay out of the landfill.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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