What to do with junk computer parts?

[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.