The Evolution of Earth Day: Recycling Becomes the Focus for April 22

In 1970, Earth Day was originated to help save the environment from air and water pollution, but today, the celebration takes on a new meaning. Forty-seven percent of Americans associate Earth Day with recycling, while only 23 percent associate it with cleaning up local parks or beaches – which most resembles the day's original purpose – according to a survey from ecoATM, Inc., the nationwide network of automated electronics recycling kiosks. 

Recycling options have increased since the first Earth Day, and companies such as ecoATM are giving consumers an incentive to do so; ecoATM offers instant cash at the 1,890 kiosks nationwide for cell phones, tablets and MP3 players. Despite growth and widespread accessibility of recycling programs, there are recyclable items still being thrown away. Forty-four percent of Americans admitted to trashing batteries, in addition to:  

• Clothes (38 percent)
• Ink Cartridges (24 percent)
• Coins (six percent)

While 62 percent of Americans admitted to trashing recyclable items, a relatively low number of those have tossed small electronics: only eight percent have thrown away a cell phone, and four percent an MP3 player.

"Thankfully, recycling gadgets has become more common than trashing them; however lack of convenience and the potential of using the device again were two main reasons cited from respondents who choose not to recycle their devices," said Randy Erman, director of product marketing at ecoATM. "Making recycling easier is one of the main reasons we introduced ecoATM; we offer a safe and convenient place to recycle small electronic devices that could otherwise contribute to e-waste in our nation's landfills."

ecoATM® kiosks accept over 5,500 types of tablets, phones and MP3 players, and have already collected more than four million devices. To further incentivize device recycling, ecoATM is increasing its payouts beginning April 7 to coincide with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge availability, offering even more instant cash and guaranteed price minimums for Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 devices.

For more information on pricing or to locate a kiosk, please visit http://www.ecoatm.com/

Did You Know: Leos Who Changed the World

Two geniuses in the field of electronics whose inventions changed pastimes the world over were born in August. One was television pioneer Philo Farnsworth, whose 1906 birthday is noted today. He conceived the idea of television broadcasting while still in high school and realized his dream at the age of 21. The other was Lee de Forest, a Yale Ph.D. in physics. He invented the three-element vacuum tube among his hundreds of patents and was a pioneer in radio, which in the early 20th century was so unbelievable he was once arrested for selling stock to underwrite his invention. Over 225,000 Americans work in the roughly 8,900 radio and TV broadcasting establishments advanced by Farnsworth and de Forest. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

57 Percent of Back-to-School Shoppers Will Not Buy New Computers, Study Finds

Back-to-School Shopping Report Finds Laptops, Desktops, Mobile Devices Out of Style this Season for Consumers Seeking to Save Money

BOISE, Idaho and GLASGOW, Scotland, Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mindful of saving money, more than half of back-to-school shoppers will not purchase computers this year, according to a study by Crucial.com released today. The Crucial.com Back-to-School Shopping Report, which includes responses from 1,000 adults in the U.S., found that 57% of respondents do not plan to purchase laptops, desktops, tablets, or mobile devices for school this year, as a vast majority of consumers are increasingly concerned with becoming more frugal.

The research showed U.S. consumers – and back-to-school shoppers in particular – are seeking ways to cut back where they can. Seventy-three percent of respondents said they were very concerned with saving money, a number that increased to 82% for back-to-school shoppers. In general, 82% of respondents said it was more important to save money than save time, and 81% said they would be most inclined to put money toward savings or paying off bills if given $1,000 to spend.

If given $1,000 to spend, respondents said they would:

Pay off bills	46 percent
Put it into savings	35 percent
Go on vacation	9 percent
Buy a new computer/tablet/phone	6 percent
Buy a new car	3 percent
Give to charity	2 percent

Back-to-school shoppers cited several ways they save money, including clipping coupons (82%), do-it-yourself projects (57%), and buying generic brands (57%). Additionally, 61% of back-to-school shoppers said they would try to fix a slow computer themselves to save money, rather than spend money on expensive repairs. Fifty-eight percent said they expected a computer to last at least five years.

"The results of the survey delivered an underlying theme: most Americans seek to be as frugal as possible, but struggle to do so," said Ed Walker, Crucial E-Commerce Marketing Manager. "It's not surprising consumers are seeking to make computers and various mobile devices last as long as possible, given their expense. When back-to-school season arrives, it can make a lot of sense for families to extend the life and performance of their existing computers, rather than spend hundreds of dollars on new ones."

When shopping for the new school year, consumers ranked spending money as the biggest stress factor, ahead of locating particular items and dealing with crowded stores. Only 2% identified themselves as "big spenders" when asked to describe their money-saving mentality. The largest segment of back-to-school shoppers this year is females aged 35 to 44, 53% of whom said they planned to shop or had already.

The Crucial.com Back-to-School Shopping Report is based on an online, quantitative market research study commissioned by Crucial.com and conducted by independent research firm GMI from June 27th – July 5th, 2014. Respondents were comprised of 500 men and 500 women in the United States ages 35 and over. For information about the survey, Crucial, or computer memory upgrades visit Crucial.com. 

Survey says most parents agree, teens "need" their own laptops and smartphones for school

BELOIT, Wis.  -- FatWallet.com, where millions of savvy shoppers share coupons and earn cash back at over 1,500 stores, announced results of its 2014 Back to School Survey (*TNS Global) which reveals what parents plan to buy and how much they'll spend this year. Parents also share views on whether students need to have their own tech products and when to find the best deals on these bigger ticket items for school.

Key survey results:

• 88% of parents will spend the same, or more (31%), on school related products this year. Top items they'll buy most?
  • 78% will buy general school supplies and backpacks
  • 73% will buy clothes and shoes
  • 30% will buy textbooks
• 1 in 4 parents say they are likely to purchase a student laptop or tablet this year. More than 5 to 1, parents say laptops are better suited to help students learn than tablets, 42% say for high school and 26% say for middle school.
• 2 in 3 parents say it's practical for teens to have a smartphone (35% say early teens - age 13-15). Parents also say kids would choose new smartphones over tablets and laptops for school:
  • 29% of kids want clothes and shoes
  • 20% smartphones
  • 19% school supplies
  • 14% tablets
  • 7% laptops
• Nike tops brands kids ask for most for school at 30%, while 22% of kids want Apple products, 18% Under Armour, 14% Levi's and 12% want Samsung, Forever 21, Converse or Adidas.

Next to Black Friday, parents say Back to School sales are the best time of year to find deals on student laptops and tablets. "This annual shopping event is the perfect time to find added savings on higher quality tech products for students," said Brent Shelton, spokesperson for FatWallet. "Each year during Back-to-School sales, FatWallet works with top retailers to increase cash back and feature their best discounts and coupons to help families stretch their budgets." Now through August 26, FatWallet shoppers can find and compare back to school coupons and discounts from top retailers like HP, Dell, Apple, Walmart, Target, Staples and dozens more offering exclusive savings from increased cash back. FatWallet also features smart back to school resources to help shoppers find hot deals on laptops, smartphones, textbooks, student discounts, teacher discounts and other essential school supplies.

See FULL RESULTS of Back to School Shopping Survey.

SOURCE FatWallet.com