It's Green to Me- The Laptop ~ Vida Bonita

I am starting a new section of posts called "Its Green to Me" which will feature different eco-friendly practices that I attempt in my day to day life in an effort to practice what I preach. I do all kinds of random things that move from practical to a little compulsive so I might as well take some pictures and describe the events.

So welcome to the first edition.

When I graduated from OSU with my undergraduate degree (2009), my parents agreed to buying a new lap top for me to start up graduate school. I wanted to get something that wouldn't become obsolete in fifteen minutes like electronics tend to do. I also wanted to get something that was reasonable because it was after all, a gift. First thing, I messaged my friend Josh who keeps me on the up and up with computer information. He told me what was the most appropriate amount of memory, speed, processor, and other words that don't really mean that much to me. I did my research, read online reviews, and even found a computer with an 8-hour battery life which was especially helpful because I haul my computer around a lot and a charger was an issue I did not want to have to worry about.

A week before graduation after talking to my dad, he bought me the optimal computer for my next steps in school. It had a really big screen and nice display so I could even do some photo editing. Remember that 8 hour battery? Well it's an external battery and made my computer weigh something like 153 lbs. Overall, it was a good computer. I sailed through my graduate degree and never had problems. I don't know what it is about three years and computers, but they seem to start realizing that you could have forgotten how much the computer cost by now, so it's time to buy a new one. Do you know what a BSOD is? I don't either, but I know it stands for Blue Screen Of Death and so I'm assuming it's bad. I started to get a few of those. And it started getting really. Really. Slow. Oh, and the battery wouldn't hold a charge anymore, so I had to carry my charger everywhere. It was a race against time to the next outlet so it didn't just shut down while walking to class.
A few months ago I bought an external hard drive out of fear that I would lose everything that was on that machine. That included thousands of pictures, weeks of music, and all of my notes and articles from Tech which I will desperately need for my comprehensive exams next year. So even if my computer goes kaput, I'd still have my files.

Do you see what I just said there? It was okay if my computer just spontaneously combusted because I had my files. I can just buy a new one. The cost would be annoying, but if I moved around some priorities, I could afford another one. It might even be nice to have a new operating system and whatever gadgetry is out there 4 years later in the computer world. WHAT THE HECK KIND OF UNGRATEFUL PERSON IS WILLING TO ACCEPT JUST BUYING ANOTHER COMPUTER?!?!

Why am I getting so worked up? It's because it's the mentality that we as a culture have become comfortable with. I started out with a quality computer. I take good care of it. I have a nice little case that I tote it around it for protection (thanks, Anna). I try not to just power it off, actually shutting it down. It's a good machine. If I just buy another one, what happens to the old one? It becomes e-waste. I might do a post about e-waste in the future. But for now, let me tell you that it is a real problem. Where do you think all of those old tube TVs went now that we all are apparently entitled to flat screens? Most likely a land fill where it is leaching all kinds of nastiness. Now I'm getting excited again, so I will almost definitely be doing a post on e-waste. Remember, when something is thrown away, there isn't really an "away" it's just "away from me".

I personally feel convicted to be responsible for my purchases, so what is a girl to do? I don't know a ton about computers.... so I'm going to have to get creative. Here is what I did.

First, as a Tech student, we get software for free or on the cheap. So I took all of my important files, and backed them up one more time just to be safe. Over 4 years, I've also accumulated a bunch of crud on my computer that I am happy to say good bye to. Then I went down to the library and purchased the Windows 7 operating system for... $10. 10. Ten. Little Dollars. I came back and loaded it up, wiping away everything from the past 4 years. It's beautiful. It works quickly. It has new features that make my research easier! And I was even able to install it myself! Victory!

What about the battery? It's making me a little nuts. I went to Amazon and found a replacement battery for the low low price of $20.55. I also have Amazon prime (worth every penny) and so I got it shipped for free with 2-day shipping. My Discover card also had a Cashback balance, so I used it towards the battery. So I paid zero dollars for the battery. AND the battery is smaller, significantly reducing the weight of the computer.

What about the e-waste of the old battery? I am glad you asked. I went to the Best Buy website and there are TONS of things you can recycle in store. I looked under computers, and there it is! So I'll be taking my battery to them. Hopefully they'll spring some life back into it and it can be reused.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/null/Recycling-Electronics/pcmcat149900050025.c?id=pcmcat149900050025&searchresults=1&searchresults=recycle

I just looked on the BestBuy website. The new version of my old computer would run me about $700. So... I spent $10 of actual cash. That is a 98.57% savings. I didn't have $700 just lying around, but since I would have had to find it I think I'll put that money into a savings account to add to trip funds for Matt and I this year.

So not only did I go green and reduce my consumption, but I saved a lot of it! A huge goal of mine in my career is to show administrators the economic value of sustainable practices which produces a win/win situation.

If you have some neat situations where sustainability practices have saved you money, let me know! I would even let you guest blog, or at least feature you!

Until next time!