FYI: Office Depot to recycle old PCs...

From: Teo Zenios <teoz_at_neo.rr.com>
Date: Tue Jul 13 18:06:43 2004

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jules Richardson" <julesrichardsonuk_at_yahoo.co.uk>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 6:36 PM
Subject: Re: FYI: Office Depot to recycle old PCs...


> On Tue, 2004-07-13 at 19:25, Fred Cisin wrote:
> > > Arrrgh!! A 1 Ghz machine is perfect for a MAME machine!! :-(
> >
> > To be fair, that was my guess of their parameters for "recycling",
> > NOT their wording.
> > But what do YOU think they would do with a Northstar?
>
> Indeed. My local computer "recycling" place works on the premise that
> Unless it's a PC, it gets ripped apart, with plastic going to the local
> tip, PCBs going somewhere else, and metal going for scrap value.
>
> No attempt is made to advertise any such donated equipment to the
> public; I only know because I happened to be there one day when someone
> was coming to do a run of remains to the tip and so saw the pile of
> plastic shells from 80's micros awaiting the crusher.
>
> The owner isn't open to any kind of arangement where I buy non-PC
> machines from him for something above scrap value (where I could then
> sell them on to good homes for what I paid for them) - I've tried asking
> that a couple of times. I think to him it's simply a business and his
> money comes from selling secondhand PC components; even if an
> arrangement was more convenient for him because it means not having to
> part 'unsellable' out himself, he still can't think beyond what he's
> always done.
>
> I don't know, I just get frustrated by people who think that recycling
> involves smashing things into component parts first, rather than making
> an effort to recycle the thing as a whole first (regardless of what the
> 'thing' is). That kind of attitude makes no sense to me...
>
> cheers
>
> Jules
>
>

I bet most recyclers get their machines from a business, which probably pays
to make sure their old gear is destroyed and recycled and not tossed into a
corner of a shop for somebody else to worry about. If you really want to
provide computers to a good home setup a non profit business and have people
drop off machines to you. It doesn't cost much to advertise in the local
paper or post a note at a church or something like that.
Received on Tue Jul 13 2004 - 18:06:43 BST