Fix Your Own Gadgets: 22 Instructive Videos

E-waste is bad. This we've known for awhile now. We toss toxic gadgets left and right, often thinking they'll be recycled and therefore e-waste is prevented. But many times our e-waste is shipped off to other countries for them to have to deal with. The EHoPA does little to ensure the safe recycling of materials. Or, only a fraction of the device can actually be recycled and the rest ends up in a landfill.

And while companies are picking up efforts to improve gadget recycling programs, it is still ultimately up to us to keep a gadget for as long as it is possibly useful. And that means repairing it when needed. Thankfully, repair tips are endless and free advice is everywhere.

These videos are not meant to be the be-all-end-all of gadget repair, but rather will hopefully solve a few problems and ultimately inspire you to search our answers from others before ditching your device. A huge sense of accomplishment and confidence comes with fixing something you thought was over your head. Turns out - you can do it!

So - save money, be green, fix it yourself. Here's how.

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Comments

[Lesscancer]

I think the missed headline here is that we use toxic products before they are garbage...while recycling is critical - we need to raise the bar on the products we use everyday- often while these products have not been proven to be harmful they have not been proven to be safe. We see with cancer climbing at epidemic proportions we as a culture are doing little to prevent the unnecessary and preventable exposures linked with cancer. The idea that scientist now know radiation from a cell phone now travels half way through the brain of 5 year old child....should raise the flag for precaution...

Bill Couzens Founder, Less Cancer

[Lesscancer]

I think the missed headline here is that we use toxic products before they are garbage...while recycling is critical - we need to raise the bar on the products we use everyday- often while these products have not been proven to be harmful they have not been proven to be safe. We see with cancer climbing at epidemic proportions we as a culture are doing little to prevent the unnecessary and preventable exposures linked with cancer. The idea that scientist now know radiation from a cell phone now travels half way through the brain of 5 year old child....should raise the flag for precaution...

Bill Couzens Founder Less Cancer

[greenworker]

For those looking to recycle or reuse other items that get ignored, there are also building material reuse stores all over the country. There's a great one in the South Bronx,NYC called ReBuilders Source (www.rebuilderssource.coop) that sells salvaged building materials. The place is full of sinks, doors, windows, hardwood flooring, lighting fixtures and more. They're well organized AND it's a worker-owned cooperative. Places likes these are popping up all over the country. Check out the Building Materials Reuse Association www.buildingreuse.orgg) to find a reuse store near you. Let's keep all of the perfectly good, valuable, reusable stuff out of landfills and incinerators. There's no need to chop down a tree to make a door when there are so many good doors being thrown away each day.