This advertisement doesn't send the right message.
A Redditor shared a shocking discovery to r/Anticonsumption after receiving an advertisement in the mail.
"This is a disposable video display used as an advertisement," the user wrote. "We hooked it to a computer and it holds 500mbs of mp4."
The images show an advertisement for wealth management advising, with a video display embedded in the paper card.
Electronic waste is a big problem. According to Unitar, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, "62 million tonnes (over 68 million tons) [of] e-waste [was] generated in 2022 … 14 million tonnes (more than 14 million tons, or 22.3%) [of] estimated mass of e-waste [was] trashed, mostly landfilled, in 2022."
Billions of pounds of electronic waste are generated and landfilled every year. Much of the landfilled waste is embedded in or contains valuable and recyclable metals, like copper. When landfilled, Recylops notes this e-waste will "take thousands of years to decompose in landfills … [and] harsh chemicals and materials can leach into the soil."
What could have easily been a paper card — recyclable, inexpensive, and biodegradable — instead used electronic components that, when improperly disposed of, will exist for thousands of years.
It's not just this company — many people don't know how to handle electronic waste. This user's school tossed laptops in the trash, but the user fortunately recovered the parts. This store threw unsold merchandise into the trash and wouldn't let the employee take it home.
To help prevent electronic waste, take old electronics — cell phones, TVs, printers and fax machines, speakers, and other appliances — to a local electronic recycling center.
Luckily, scientists are working on making recyclable circuit boards for electronics such as phones and laptops, which could make a huge dent in the e-waste clogging landfills.
If you have old electronics and accessories but aren't sure how to dispose of them, consider sending them to e-waste recycler Redwood Materials or dropping them off at one of their collection locations.
Commenters were shocked and disgusted at the wasteful mail.
"The displays used to [show] ads at the train station always bother me," one user commented. "Large high-end displays worth a couple thousand each, just for visual pollution. It's such a waste of resources."
"Seeing a wealth management company irresponsibly spend a lot on something most people will just throw out is a good sign to never work with them," another said.
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