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The walk to the coffee shop makes your arm go numb because your computer is so heavy. Your phone is so old that the battery only lasts for 15 minutes and you only get reception in one corner of your kitchen. Your envious of your friend's touch screens and seeing a slobby-looking guy at the coffee shop with the hottest new phone makes you want to throw your Nokia Communicator into the street.
Not upgrading when the latest gadgets are released is a great way to keep money in your pocket and toxic e-waste out of the landfills. And using older electronics doesn't have to be all bad. In fact, an entire community of people dedicated to celebrating their aging tech-tools has sprung up on the internet.
Last Year's Model asks members to share why they are hanging on to their current gadgets, even though upgrades are available. Reasons run the gamut from one user who asks "who wants to spend time figuring out how to use a new phone?" to another that wants to "save the planet through consuming less!" This is certainly a sentiment Planet Green readers can relate to.
Joining the community is easy. First, choose to hang on to that Nokia Communicator instead of splurging for the iPhone and then let people know either on Twitter, joining the Facebook group, or placing a badge on your blog. You will be joining the ranks of members such as Gina Trapani, former editor of Lifehacker.com, and Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg.com.
Saving money, helping the planet, and joining some cool people: What other reason would you need to check out Last Year's Model?
Read more about e-waste:
Go Green With Ubuntu
Recycle Your Cell Phone for Free with Cricket
Buy-back, Take-back, Recycling: Your Guide to All Things e-Cycling
Wear Your Broken Earbud Headphones As Earrings
What's Your e-Waste IQ?
How to Go Green: Gadgets
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