Forget the plastic! Of late, there has been a rising concern of how landfills across the world are getting filled up with old or broken electronic items. The majority of electronic items contain harmful contaminants like lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium among other toxins that get released into the air as these items degrade.
Many companies are thus, coming forward with ideas to recycle these electronic items so that they don’t end up in the landfill for another 10 years at least. Here are 7 such creations from recycled electronics that will truly inspire you to stop dumping e-waste in the landfills too.
Recycled electronic jewelry
How about transforming used electronic components into innovative jewelry pieces? For instance, a necklace made from old RoHS circuit boards can be decorated with pretty silver and gold stones to make a statement piece.
You can also opt for dangling earrings made of the used keys of a keyboard. The fun thing about this is that you can create any kind of pattern with these keys to a make them look more symbolic, like for instance, your name.
Designers like David Casella have also started creating statement jewelry pieces from used electronic components that might otherwise end up in landfills. For example, Casella creates beautiful brooches by cutting out floral patterns on used circuit boards and then pairing them up with anodized brass and aluminum.
Recycled electronic art
You may not know it, but there are a dozen ways you can reuse electronic components in modern art designs and sculptures. For instance, Italian artist Andrea Petrachi has created several inspiring robotic sculptures which uses among other electronic parts, a camera lens for its body. One look at these sculptures and you will start wondering what to create with the old electronic items in your home as well.
Recycled electronic furniture
A lot of companies are coming forward to reuse old electronic circuit boards and components in their furniture pieces. The most prominent example is that of Benjamin Rollins Caldwell who reuses old circuit boards, chips, computer cases, LED displays and hard drives in the furniture that he makes. Although not quite appealing, these furniture pieces are quite functional and can look quite artistic in a modernistic home.
Recycled electronic pet homes
How about transforming an old computer monitor into a home for your pet cat? You can hollow out the monitor by removing all the components inside it, including the screen in front. Simply place a small sized, but comfortable mattress in it. This would now become the perfect abode for your furry friend.
Recycled electronic photo frames
Got an old iPad or tablet that you longer use? Consider transforming it into a digital photo frame. Simply load all your favorite photos onto the device and place it on its docking station. Now simply, let the photos keep on changing as you go about your work. The same idea can be applied to smartphones with large screens.
Recycled record bowls
Have plenty of old vinyl records in your home that you simply don’t know what to do with? Simply turn them into beautiful bowls by sending them to a company called Vinylux. The company makes use of played out, scratched or warped vinyl records to create its statement bowls. The records are molded into different shapes (custom chosen by the owner) while the spindle hole in the middle is sealed with tape. In addition to bowls, the company also repurposes these records into mirrors, ornaments, clocks, bookends and even sketchbooks.
Recycled electronic lights
What if we say that the old electronic items in your home can be transformed into fully functional lights? That’s what designer Rodrigo Alonso has been working with for some time now. Using a technique called rotomolding, he reuses e-waste along with recycled aluminum and iron mold to create what he calls N+ew Lights (No more Electronic Waste) which look absolutely stunning to say the least.
Many are concerned about the amount of e-waste piling up in the landfills these days. Instead of dumping old electronic items in the landfills, you can choose to recycle them into many useful products, including lights, art pieces, pet homes, décor items, jewelry and even furniture.
