Green Living by Janet Marchant: Electronic Recycling

Great news! I've just discovered a new high-tech way to be green. Up until now, when readers e-mailed me their feedback on my columns, I would just print out the messages and keep them on file until I'd researched all of the questions, or incorporated any good suggestions, and then put them in my big, blue recycling bin and roll it out to the curb. Next, I'd congratulate myself for having a nice, full recycling bin ready for pick-up.

We all know that recycling is good for the planet, so the more things you recycle, the greener you are! That's why I was excited to find out that there is more than one way to recycle an e-mail message. It turns out that my computer has a little electronic recycling bin. I'm told that other people's computers also have these virtual recycling bins, so you can join me in increasing your recycling. It seems that some people even get together in big groups for special electronic recycling events that they somehow turn into fund raisers.

But it's easy to get started with electronic recycling right in your own home. First, print out your e-mail messages, and do whatever you please with them until it's time to recycle them. Then, you can not only put the paper copy in your blue bin, but also put the original electronic copy in the cute little recycle bin icon on your computer's desktop. It probably looks something like this:
Just send your old messages and other e-waste to this little icon and bingo! You'll be twice as green as you were before, with just a click of the mouse. Who knew that electronic recycling could be so easy?