Recycling e-waste is kind of important. Our devices are full of heavy metals and toxins that probably shouldn’t just chill in landfills. But iPhone repair company Twice Used is designing housewares that put a new spin on old handsets.
Twice Used was throwing away thousands of iPhone displays a year because screens that are too broken can’t be recycled, so employee Chris Koerner had the idea to incorporate busted screens and other components into coffee tables, photo frames, clocks, home button jewellery, and coasters so they could have a second life. All of the products are made in Alabama where Twice Used is based.
There’s a slight supply issue because though Twice Used has tons of broken components available, about 20,000 displays right now, their new home goods require a lot of materials: 100 screens for the coffee table or 12 for the clock. Koerner made a Kickstarter so he and other Twice Used employees can develop partnerships with other electronics repair and recycling services. There are a lot of creative ways to reuse electronics, and having your 3GS come back as a minimalist clock isn’t a bad option. [Venture Beat]
