Avoid e-waste: the best strategies for the home

The technological and digital progress that makes our everyday lives so much easier is, on the other hand, creating ever-growing mountains of waste. As the number of electronic devices in the household increases, so does the amount of devices that need to be disposed of.

From smaller appliances such as blenders or kettles, e-waste also includes washing machines, cameras, televisions, microwaves, machine tools as well as mobile phones, watches or torches that are no longer used or have reached the end of their service life and therefore need to be disposed of. The Global E-Waste Monitor predicts a volume of 74 million tonnes of e-waste worldwide by 2030. And why is that? Because we are generating more and more devices in our everyday lives, some of which are very short-lived. But that doesn't have to be the case: Everyone can reduce or even completely avoid e-waste in their own household. And you can save money too!

Strategy 1: Use appliances for longer

The most sustainable approach is often to simply continue using the appliances you already have. However, old household appliances often consume large amounts of electricity. Replacing them with new, more energy-efficient appliances can make perfect sense. The power consumption of a washing machine, for example, can be easily calculated by multiplying the wattage of the appliance by the operating time.

Strategy 2: Pay attention to sustainability, durability and reparability when buying new appliances

Buying durable products is an important first step towards avoiding electronic waste. Before deciding on a new appliance, it is essential to take a look at the quality and durability of the product. Reviews and experiences from other customers provide good pointers to ensure that a product is actually of high quality and will not give up the ghost after a short time. Just as with other consumer goods, there are also environmental labels for electrical appliances. When selecting our range of brands and appliances, we pay particular attention to maximising their service life.

Strategy 3: Repair instead of buying new

If an electronic device breaks down, the first impulse is often to dispose of it and replace it with a new device. However, repair is often a much more environmentally friendly and cost-effective option: the appliances in our shop often come with a very long guarantee and the service of having them repaired. This is because it is usually only minor defects that can be easily repaired. If the warranty is no longer valid, local repair services will provide a reliable assessment and there are often easy-to-understand do-it-yourself repair instructions available.

Strategy 4: Retrofitting appliances

What many people don't realise is that the majority of electrical appliances can be retrofitted nowadays. This is useful if, for example, a computer is still working but the hard drive and RAM are no longer sufficient. Or the battery of a mobile phone can no longer be charged properly, but the phone itself is still fully functional.

Link to the spare parts: A variety of spare parts with installation instructions are available here for the standard mixers and blenders from the Keimling Naturkost shop or can be ordered directly via our customer service.

Strategy 5: Buy used

Another sustainable approach is to buy used electronic appliances. Many people sell functional devices that they no longer need. By buying used electronics, the devices are given a second life and do not end up as electronic waste. Platforms such as online classifieds, specialised websites for used electronics or local specialist shops offer a variety of options.

Link to Keimling "Second-hand market": Devices from customer returns are available here at great prices, as they can no longer be sold as new. Not even if they are still in their original packaging and unused. All returned devices are of course professionally checked, cleaned and refurbished by our technical team, because we really know our stuff!

Strategy 6: Sharing and borrowing

Some electrical appliances are only used infrequently, such as drills or high-pressure cleaners. Instead of buying such appliances, which usually end up gathering dust in the cellar unused, you can also share them with other people. Platforms for sharing items and local community projects often offer the opportunity to borrow electrical appliances. This saves resources and reduces electronic waste.

Strategy 7: Sustainable disposal

When an electrical appliance has reached the end of its life, it is important to dispose of it properly. Many local authorities offer special collection centres for electronic waste where old appliances can be handed in. These collection centres ensure that the appliances are properly recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. It is important that electrical appliances never end up in household waste. Small electrical appliances (appliances whose longest edge is 25 centimetres or less) can also be handed in free of charge at electrical stores.

How much e-waste we generate in our homes depends on various factors: on the one hand, how we shop and decide on certain appliances, but also on the possibilities of repair or sustainable recycling. Extending the lifespan of electronic devices, repairing them instead of buying new ones, buying second-hand devices and sharing and borrowing electrical appliances are all steps in the right direction.

By making conscious decisions about use and purchase and applying sustainable strategies, we can reduce e-waste in the home. That's why we take a lot of time to advise our customer service team to find the right appliance for your needs. In this way, we avoid e-waste right from the start.