I’ve been thinking more and more about e‑waste lately watching perfectly good electronics get tossed into the trash every single day.
Take disposable vapes, for example.
Inside almost every one of them is a fully functional 3.7V lithium‑ion cell.
Rechargeable. Reusable. The same chemistry that powers phones, controllers, and power banks.
Yet millions of these batteries end up in landfills because the device looks like trash.
I’ve been harvesting the cells from my old vapes and turning them into power banks and portable chargers and ect. It blows my mind how much usable tech we throw away just because it’s wrapped in a “disposable” shell.
And it’s not just vapes:
- headphones
- old remotes
- broken controllers
- cheap gadgets
- e‑toys
- USB battery packs
- kitchen appliances
Most of this stuff contains components that can be repaired, reused, or upcycled into something new.
So here’s my question for the community:
Why aren’t we talking more about upcycling e‑waste?
Is it lack of awareness? Lack of tools?
Or do people just not realize how much value is hiding inside “trash”?
I'm not naive and know that Companies make things intentionally unrepairable, but I’d love to hear from others who repair, harvest parts, or upcycle electronics.
What do you rescue from the waste stream — and what do you turn it into?
Top comments (1)
Yes, from an environmental perspective, it's a big problem. Some people throw away good things, others only throw away old things, and then there are those who can't part with junk. I know quite a few people who value old things and can't part with them, and from an outside perspective, this can seem like some kind of serious psychological disorder. I think it's better to draw clear boundaries between trash and functional items, but not allow yourself to get to that point, in short.