Employee discovers original gaming console in company trash: ‘They still sell for quite a bit’

If you’re a video game enthusiast, you’d be surprised at what you can find in your local e-waste dumpster. One Reddit user shared their haul in r/OriginalXbox, much to the envy of commenters. 

What happened?

The original poster stated that they found an Xbox, complete with several games and controllers, in the e-waste dumpster outside their workplace. 

“It baffles me someone would put this thing in an e-waste when they still sell for quite a bit in Australia as gaming wasn’t too big here when this console came out,” the OP wrote. 

A photo shows the incredible find, and despite its age, the system looks relatively new. However, the poster noted that the system does have a few glitches, such as needing to power on the Xbox with the eject button, the fan being loud, and discs not always being read correctly. 

Still, commenters assured the OP that some of these issues could be fixed with a little TLC. 

“Open it up, YouTube videos, replace the capacitors, clean it up,” one person suggested.

“To me that’s just sad how they throw away these retro games. Some ppl just don’t understand how good these old game consoles are now smh,” another said.

“The stuff people throw away sometimes is just wild,” someone else shared. “No doubt countless perfectly operational valuable and priceless things go to waste all the time.”

Why does e-waste matter?

Electronic waste is one of the worst forms of pollution because it leaches toxic metals into the air and soil. In some ways, it’s worse than plastic because of the extent of chemical pollution and the fact that e-waste is often more challenging and costly to recycle. 

Because of these difficulties in handling e-waste, only about a quarter is recycled worldwide each year, according to a United Nations report. In turn, the global economy suffers from the loss of valuable metals such as gold, copper, and silver. 

Sircel reported that an estimated $57 billion is lost annually when these materials aren’t recovered, leading to higher labor and production costs. If electronics were properly recycled, it would put much less strain on the environment and benefit businesses and consumers as well. 

Electronic waste also harms humans, especially in developing countries, since the majority of electronics are shipped there for processing. Women and children who work in informal recycling centers are often exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals, which can result in lung and reproductive problems, per the World Health Organization. 

Are companies doing anything about this?

Several major retailers, including Amazon, Apple, and Best Buy, offer trade-in programs that allow customers to exchange unwanted electronics for perks such as store credit or cash back. If the traded devices aren’t eligible for credit or cannot be refurbished, they’re recycled for free. 

What else is being done about e-waste?

Technological solutions for electronic pollution are also springing up. For instance, some companies are adding mechanical arms to recycling facilities to increase productivity and efficiency, and artificial intelligence-powered robots are also being employed to handle more e-waste. 

If you have any gadgets hiding in your junk drawers, consider sending them to the startup Trashie with its innovative Tech Take Back Box. It will take care of recycling the items and give you awesome rewards in return, including discounts on shoes and clothing, and food delivery credits. There are endless ways to make money off your old electronics, so choose the method that works best for you.

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