iPods for Greener Living

I read a few articles awhile back about how iPods are constructed in a not so eco friendly way thus making them B-A-D for green enthusiasts. On the Story of Stuff movie the first scene shows the narrator throwing an iPod away as mere “stuff”. But in this case the iPod is “stuff” that helps us reduce overall the amount of other  “stuff” we consume. To me that means it is a green gadget and frankly…good stuff.

Reasons why this green mom LOVES her iPod:

1. I don’t buy music CDs anymore with their polycarbonate plastic, aluminium, lacquer, and dye. I download music from iTunes or Amazon…waste free and no CDs to get scratched by my kids and then subsequently thrown away. I also don’t need to buy CD cases/albums anymore.

2. I don’t need to buy as many DVDs anymore. I still buy them but the amount has been reduced as I download movies and television shows to my iPod. Why buy seasons of Smallville in a boxed set when I can download them digitally and watch it on my computer screen or iPod? This also allows for instant gratification as you can download episodes of your favorite TV shows within hours of their TV premiere. Now you can forgo that TiVo too.

This came in extremely handy when I wanted to watch the last 7 episodes of The Shield recently. I didn’t want the whole season or a fancy boxed set so I downloaded them from iTunes and watched them on my computer. Easy!

3. Very rarely do I need to burn CDs anymore. I used to buy blank CDs in bulk and burn music to them but now that I have my iPod car converter I just plug my whole iPod into the cigarette lighter and I am jamm’in while driving. Waste reduced again.

4. I don’t even own a Walkman. I just place my iPod inside an arm band  or a pocket and I have portable music. No CDs and no cheap Walkmans.

5. You can download kids movies and TV shows to keep kids occupied in the car on trips or in line at the DMV.

6. You can use iPods to display flash cards, audio books, science and math videos, even Spanish lessons. Homeschooling on the go with iPods is getting popular.

7. I can listen to all my favorite green living podcasts and Internet radio shows by downloading them (free usually) via iTunes.

Like I said…good stuff. Now of course this only make sense if you take good care of your iPod and don’t give in to iPod envy as new versions are released. I have had a 30GB iPod for a couple years now and it is still going strong….when it does croak eventually I will send it to Apple for recycling.

This green mom likes her iPod. :)