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"eCycling" Pilot Program in 5 States and D.C.
Mr. Slippery writes: "Several /. stories have discussed the problem of disposing of electonic gear laden with hazardous materials. The EPA, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, DC, and about a dozen corporate sponsors have launched a pilot program to collect and recycle computers and electronics. The objective is to collect data to "develop a long-term cost effective system to remove computers (including
monitors & peripherals) and TVs from the municipal waste stream."
(My car is now loaded up with five monitors, 3 old HP RISC worksations, several partial PCs, an old TV, and various parts and pieces for the Baltimore County drop-off tomorrow...if any area geeks are looking to scavange old gear this might be a prime opportunity.)"
If you are anywhere near FallsChurch, come to Broad St. There is a huge banner in the
middle of the road that will guide you to the exact location.
If you are in Alexandria, take Leesburg Pike and drive towards Baily's cross-roads, Leesburg
turns to Broad St. Stay on that (please go 25mph, fallschurch is over populated, it is a
residential area, and our cops are broke, hehehe)
For those of you coming from the other side of Leesburg (tyson's corner) just stay on Leesburg
and head towards Falls Church (aim at the Route 66 exit, if you have to.) and you will
land in Broad St.
The Redundant Technology Initiative have been doing this sort of thing in my hometown of Sheffield, UK for a number of years now.
RTI is an arts group based in Sheffield, England. It started in 1997 with a group of artists who wanted to get involved with information technology, but didn't have the resources to buy computers. So instead they went about getting their hands on trash computers, finding new ways to be creative with old technology, then exhibiting the results.
Now RTI has accumulated hundreds of machines and has raised money to open a media lab, called Access Space where people can learn, create and communicate using trailing-edge technology. At last, after a series of frustrating delays, Access Space finally opened on April 6th 2000.
We had a fairly groovy Wireless Internet Workshop too at Access Space last November.
cogito ergo sig...
Throwing away an HP RISC? A pity. Give that stuff away, or trade something for it at TradeBoxen.
I'm not affiliated with the site, I just swapped some shit there recently.
It's better that it goes in the office than the landfill.
No sig is worth reading.
People in New Jersey and New York City might be interested in the Trenton Computer Festival next weekend. Lots of old junk to buy/sell/barter/gawk at. Recycling is good, but if someone wanted to pay for your old junk, that's even better.
Goodwill Computing in Austin, TX. Fun place to visit. I'm taking my old server (or parts of it at least) there this afternoon.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
As a service ... let's list existing organizations and known recycling methods for computers and other electronics. As techies it is highly in our interest to see the gear we use and love not overly burden the environment we live in .. as techies we should be aware of the effects our actions, the toys and machines we play with etc, have on the environment around us. It's not just a matter of use it and toss it, like the electronics makers would like us to believe.
...
Here's what I know of
http://crc.org - in the SF Bay Area, recycles computers and related stuff, refurbishes whatever it can, donates it back to charity service. Giving equipment to the organization is itself a charitable donation (for which I was about to take about $2500 in donations in this years taxes).
If you are a Fremont CA resident, BFI operates a drop-off center on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8am-4pm. There's a $10 fee for dropping anything off. They accept limited types of equipment (personal computer, portable TV, console TV, plugin stereo systems). Phone is 510-657-3500.
The Recyclery, at the Newby Island Landfill, this is at the I-880/Dixon Landing Road exit, the place where there's a big BFI landfill. They take stuff the Fremont dropoff center will not take. THere's a fee, and they're open mon-sat. Phone is 408-262-1401
- David
They have an automated shredding and separation system for electronics. Such systems have been around for a while. A combination of grinders, screens, AC and DC magnets, cyclones, and float tanks separates out ferrous metals, nonferrous metals, dense plastics, and low-density plastics. Once separated, the metals have some value, the high-density plastics have some marginal value, and what's left is no worse than household waste.
CRT recycling is still a problem. There are very few plants that can cut up a CRT and recover the leaded glass for use in making new CRTs.
Actually, you just have to show up. We recently let the EPA use a section of our warehouse for this program (or one like it). Quite a few people were there to take stuff rather then bring it.
Apparently, they had no problem with this. Too bad I was busy that day!!!
It appears Ockham lost his razor and grew a beard.
Anyone know anything about places like this in New York? Preferably the Rochester area.
Since it sounds like you're looking to acquire old hardware rather than discard of it, check out the Rochester Hamfest at the end of next month. Info is at www.rochesterhamfest.org -- the swap meet is huge, and I've gotten tons of toys there over the years. Right up the street from RIT.
--g