MAGFAST Is Combating the Global E-Waste Epidemic in NY

Let’s face it: technology moves fast. Very few of us are still using the same computers that we used even five years ago at home, school, or work. Even fewer of us are watching our favorite shows on the same TVs that we had back then, and most consumers get a new smartphone every two years.

While it’s always exciting to have a faster device capable of using the latest and greatest technology, it’s not great for the environment. As people all over the world embrace extremely powerful personal technology, this has led to an explosion not just in productivity and connectivity but also in e-waste.

E-waste can be any electronic device that’s become obsolete or is unwanted. Beyond computers and cell phones, this includes our long-discarded tube televisions (and the first generation flatscreens that so many people have since upgraded from), VCRs and DVD players that have become hobbyist playthings since the advent of streaming, stereo systems that don’t easily interface with our phones, copiers and fax machines that have been phased out of many industries, and early tablet devices that can no longer run the latest apps. This also includes every charging device, cable, or power supply attached to any of them.

To make matters worse, e-waste is hard to get rid of. Many cities don’t have year-round e-waste collection services, many retailers won’t accept e-waste without also charging collection fees, and many people who live in smaller towns have no access to e-waste recycling services at all, making it necessary to haul their junk several hours away to safely dispose of it.

This has led to a number of staggering, troubling facts. Three years ago, Americans threw away over 9 million tons of electronics, with only 12.5 percent of e-waste successfully recycled. Though it represents only 2 percent of the trash in U.S. landfills, it is responsible for over 70 percent of toxic waste. This includes over $60 million in gold and silver in smartphones alone. Old computer monitors contain pounds of lead, a neurotoxin that can leach into the ground when improperly disposed of. These numbers are also rapidly increasing as we purchase (and throw away) more devices each year than ever before. In the wake of our current global environmental crisis, this doesn’t look good.

This also means that if you’re a major manufacturer of consumer electronics in 2019, you need to be thinking about not only how you plan to create the best products for your customers but also how you’re going to help make the world that we’re all living in a better place.

That’s why the innovators behind MAGFAST have created a plan to ensure that they are making a difference. In their own words, in addition to creating the world’s best chargers – a new class of devices for your home, office, car, and when you’re on the go that quickly and elegant keep your devices powered for hours – the MAGFAST team is on a mission to produce the world’s greenest chargers.

In the short term, this means that MAGFAST has partnered with Trees for the Future to plant a tree for every unit ordered and is planting seven trees for every MAGFAST Pro kit ordered. To date, this has resulted in over 147,142 trees planted, all of which are nearly native or naturalized in the environments where they’re planted. Trees for the Future partners with farmers to determine their needs and then pairs them with species that are both environmentally benign and potentially helpful. These trees stabilize and secure degraded lands, help diversify crops, and give farmers the power to build and manage sustainable forests that also help turn a profit.

Unlike other organizations, Trees for the Future gives farmers their trees (as opposed to giving partial or no ownership), as well as the training and materials needed to turn neglected land into sustainable forests. Ultimately, this means that MAGFAST is helping create habitats for plants and animals, produce oxygen, and absorb CO2, making the company a valuable line of defense as we fight back against harmful climate change.

Click here to learn more about MAGFAST’s partnership with Trees for the Future.