What to do with junk computer parts?

[Ryan Lintker]

I was just wondering what is the properly environmentally friendly thing to do with old computer parts.  I seem to remember hearing that they really shouldn't go in landfills, but don't remember where they should go.  Any suggestions?

[Peter Motyka]

I have been researching this for sometime now and have not come up with any answers. Facilities that recycle parts are usually near large metro areas (Chicago, New York etc) and do not have convienetly located drop off points for people like us.  Actually, there was a show on PBS about how bad the problem of junk computer parts is becoming.  Appearently, Asia is plagued with old parts and sraps them for reusable copper and what not.  The problem is, they use rather primative methods to extract this material that is hazardous to the enviornment and the people doing the work.

What I suggest we (CAOS) do about it.  Perhaps we could hold a computer rehab day. If we all bring our spare parts and try to build a few fully functioning computers (web capable, office suites) we would donate them to underprivlaged areas (east st louis etc).  I know someone in Founder's hall participates in a computer rehab weekend project every now and then.  I am sure he/she could use our help in donating time and spare parts to make this effort more successful.

Anyone interested?

Peter

[Stiffler]

They have that already. It's called something like Computer Renisance Day. I forget the exact name of it. Aaron Carrol has more info on that, and what goes on there. All I know is that it's in the MUC, and there is one coming up real shortly.

Jon

[Michael Kennedy]

Here's my suggestion then- we should have some sort of swap meet-type thing for CAOS where we can trade some parts and help those of us with less-than-stellar PCs get up to speed.  Then, we can donate the leftovers (I'd have a lot of leftovers myself) and brand them CAOS Computers :-D and donate them to the Computer Renisance Day thing as a group.  That way we'll help each other out and gain some recognition for CAOS by doing a good thing.

Does this sound like a decent idea?  Hell, we can even put logos on the cases if we decide to go that far.    :-P

[Ryan Lintker]

I'm thinking more about junk-like monitors that don't work and fried video cards.  Just to keep them out of the landfills.  Don't monitors have significant amounts of lead in them?  That would explain why they're so darn heavy.

[Stiffler]

updateMisunderstandings()
{
ÂÃ, Ã‚Ã, ++misunderstandings;
ÂÃ, Ã‚Ã, cout >> "The number of misunderstandings since CAOS started with Phorum >> misunderstandings >> "." >> endl;
}

output: The number of misunderstandings since CAOS started with Phorum: 42.

Hmmm, the answer to Life, univers, and everything. :-)

Jon

[Peter Motyka]

Yes, CRTs do have alot of dangous materials such as lead and plastics that are not dealt with properly when routed to a landfill.  If you are looking to rid yourself of nonfunctioning parts, I am too.  I have a CRT that needs to go, but I am unsure how to dispose of it properly also.  Perhaps we could contect some local disposal companies that would have some suggestions.

BTW, I would love to do a CAOS parts swap with leftovers going to the rehab projects.

Peter

[Ryan Lintker]

I'm all for the parts swap.  I think that's been an excellent suggestion.  Obviously this "misunderstanding" has a purpose.  While I don't have many good parts to offer, I think I may be able to provide a new home for some others.

You could put linux on those rehab computers too with a full set of software that wouldn't cost much at all.

[Michael Kennedy]

Yeah, I realized that my post wasn't directly related to the origional, but I ran with the things mentioned in the second and third posts when I made mine.  :)

I feel like I'm a bit of an absentee voter in CAOS since I'm never able to make it to anything, so if you're able to draw the idea out a bit more and come up with a meeting for something like that, I'll see if I can make it.  I have a dual 400 p2 system that I'd love to sell or swap for some high-end-ish stuff, so I'll make an extra effort to get there.  :)  (I'll post a pic later- it's a beast with it's 13 drive bays.)

[Stiffler]

But I still find it odd that the number of misunderstandings, no matter how small or big, is 42. If you are a THGTTG fan, that means something.

Jon

PS. I have no life since I actually kept count of something as trivial as this.

[William Grim]

First bid, $20!  Ha ha.

Wish I had high end hardware to swap, but I tend to hold onto high end pretty tight.  Too bad I don't have much money either :-/

I'd love to help out with everything anyway, but I probably wouldn't be able to swap parts.

[Victor Cardona]

Perhaps we could run these events regularly or provide a place where members could drop stuff off throughout the school year. I am planning on upgrading my video card but I probably won't get around to doing it anytime soon :-(  Nevertheless I would still like to contribute old hardware when I can.

Victor

[Peter Motyka]

I am planning on moving out of the Edwardsville area about a year from now.  When I move, I want to travel as lightly as possible.  One way to do this is going to be ridding myself of all my computers.  I have quite a collection of lowspeed systems, but they are fast enough to run a NATd servers for internet routing etc...  Most of my spare compents have been obtained from my years as a computer technitian.  People would upgrade thier systems and offer me the old spare parts/computers.  Perhaps we could all type up a list of what we have to bring to a parts swap?

Peter

[Michael Kennedy]

(I meant to post this last night, but charter was having fits for the first time in a while.)

Yep, 42 is the Ultimate Answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything but not even people with a Heart of Gold will buy that all the time.  (Especially try telling that to your Calc teacher- I've not found one that would believe me yet.)

Grim- I actually wouldn't quite give up the CPU alone for that price.  :)  Much less the SCSI drives, etc...  Probably not even all the case fans.  :)  The system isn't working for me, but I've put only a few minutes into it and don't think it fits in with what I have right now.  I have a 700mhz K7 server in my basement w/ a 60gb drive that serves me quite well right now.  I'd love touse the RAID this would support, but the 30gb tape I'm going to install will cover that aspect of the server.

It's late and time for me to turn in, so for now I say- so long and thanks for all the fish, er, computer talk...   :-D

[Jerry]

Ok, Here's an idea for left over, Kentucky Fried Computer Parts.

Pull the larger/medium sized chips off the board, glue on eyes, antennae, legs, and an SIUE or CAOS logo and sell them as "Computer Bugs".

For the larger boards, glue clips to the top and sell them as clip boards.

 :-)

[Guest]

I have some old stuff, like a motherboard with a 233MHz Pentium in it, stuff like that.  It would be great if someone could use it.  

[Michael Kennedy]

Has anyone given much thought to some sort of computer parts swap or anythign like that?  It could be part of a LUUCS meeting or something.  Right now I have a 900 Duron, 700 K7, 400 P2, 450 K6-2, 300 K6-2, P 233, etc (each with accompanying mobo and RAM) that could all be used as systems if anyone was wanting to trade.  I also have a scanner that I cant get to work with a post-Win98 OS, along with around 15-20 hard drives (all bigger than 1gb and some being different types of SCSI that I don't have a controller for).  Plus tape drives, loads of RAM and other misc. equipment.

So if any sort of a swap type of thing can be arranged I'll load up my trunk and see if I can make a deal with anyone.

[Peter Motyka]

While talking to a person at the Madison Country Recycling Center, I was refered to a place that recycles computers and CRTs.  They charge $15 dollars per monitor and 15 cents a pound for misc computer/electronic parts.  I am going to organize a trip down there sometime soon to take some parts and monitors from my apartment and place of work.  If anyone is intersted in joining me (especially if you have a truck) let me know.  This is a great alternative to just throwing things away or letting them age in your closet.  For more information you could contact the company.  They are called Interco and could be reached @ (618) 482-8206.  This is a large volume operation and they dont usually do business with the general public.  They said if I get enough material together, they would be happy to support my efforts.  So, what do you say?  CAOS computer recycle program?

Peter

[Michael Kennedy]

Actually, with most of my stuff being fairly decent I'm personally more interested in trading stuff to those people with Pentium class PCs and things of that nature.  What I'm mostly looking for is someone with one really good part that wants an entire PC in exchange for it, or something like that.  It'd be a damn shame to destroy some of the stuff I have laying around since I got rid of all my REALLY old stuff a while ago.  I do have some 486 stuff still laying around, though.  I could donate a box of that stuff to whoever wants to take that up there.

[Peter Motyka]

You mentioned some SCSI disks... do you know if any of them are the SCA 80 pin interface?

Peter

[Michael Kennedy]

I have a 4.3gb wide-ultra scsi drive here.  It's a 7200rpm Seagate Barracuda ST34371WC.  I'm not totally familiar with SCSI, but from pics I could find online this appears to be the same interface you're referring to.  (Link: http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/specs/scsi/st34371w.html)

Let me know if you are interested in this drive and if have a list of some stuff you're interested in trading for it.

[Ryan Lintker]

Peter said that this place charges money to take computer junk, right?

Donation sounds like a good thing, but if someone has to pay 15 cents a pound to drop it off, it doesn't sound like a good deal for that person.

Paying for recycling computer parts would be a good community service project for CAOS, but the financial burden of cleaning out a few people's stashes could get a little unfair.  $15 to properly dispose of a monitor seems a bit steep, but if that's what it takes in the St. Louis area, I guess that's what I would do.

[Peter Motyka]

There is much debate going on in the computer manufacturing community right now about embedding the costs of recycling in the cost of a new computer/monitor.  That sounds perfectly fair to me.  If you are going to purchase something that is potentially dangerous if not disposed of properly, you should be forced to pay a fee for its disposal.  Right now people are given the freedom to impose on others with thier old electronic junk.  This junk usually ends up in third world countries and is causing huge problems.  The cost of monitor recycling is a bit steep, but this is due to the lack of infastructure to process such equipment.  Once large scale operations are persued by companies, these prices should come down.  Perhaps we could hold an event that people would pay thier own recycling costs, we would just organize the collection and movement of the equipment.

Peter

[Ryan Lintker]

I believe that California has begun to place a $10 fee on all new crt's sold in stores.  I think this is a good idea as well.  I'm just glad I only have 1 monitor and a couple ounces of junk to get rid of.

After looking around on the internet a bit, I found that Best Buy holds an electronics recycling event at least once a year in the St. Louis area.  They only charge for monitors and tvs, with a cost of $10 and $15 respectively.  Maybe a little more research, and the new officers will have a good idea to run with.

[Michael Kennedy]

Well, it looks like you guys have a great idea with the recycling, but it also looks like noone else really has anything that they'd be interested in trading.  :(  Anyway, in a while I'll post up a list of items I have and if anyone is interested in anything on the list, feel free to let me know.  I'd also love to see your lists if by email or PM if nothing else.