Re: Recycled Macs and Junk where do you draw the line
Re: Recycled Macs and Junk where do you draw the line
- Subject: Re: Recycled Macs and Junk where do you draw the line
- From: "Laura M. Phillips" <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 08:29:52 -0500
- Organization: ladybear.com
I guess I was just assuming people would strip out what could be used
elsewhere hehehee, my bad. Empty coffee cans work well for storing small
parts, and is generally something one can get for free. I'm to the point
now where I don't even save my empty coffee cans any more because we have
to many.
We have one teen MUG member who we upgraded twice just recently as we got
better mac's in , he's very active on his mac (for both school work and
play) and is working with the others on putting together some 7600's for
his French teachers classroom. Any one who comes to us wanting a mac,
generally walks away with one if we have one ready for issue. Those who
work in assembly can usually put one together in no time (practice pays off
I guess hehee). Some of our other MUG members now join us one evening a
week, so from teens to teachers to even a retired Rock Scientist, we have a
really great group.
Laura
SMMUG Ambassador
http://www.smmug.net/
At 12:12 AM 2/27/2004, Gary Lists wrote:
>
Laura M. Phillips wrote [2/26/04 5:02 PM]:
>
>
> You are right Gary, and many older mac's that we get in (complete and
>
> working even) you hate to scrap out. But a majority of people these days
>
> won't take them, even though they are FREE ! Have the same problem with
>
> PC's, a PI isn't good enough if it's not complete with a modem :|
>
>
Well, that's part of my point. If a teenager, let's say, is the intended
>
recipient of a free-cycled (just thought of that ;) computer, then we can
>
know certain things...one of which is: the net is key.
>
>
Anyway, though, you have them now, and my debating a strategy of matching is
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not helpful to you. So...
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>
Things we elected to keep, even when we decided to "scrap" [1] the physical
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form.
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>
1. All RAM (small, easy to store, easy to 'file' in a boxes)
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2. All drives (ditto) [you would be surprised how useful an old Apple II and
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a 5 1/2 inch floppy can be at a local pre-school. We gave three
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Apple-series computers and one "teacher's" Apple (a Mac LC II with the Apple
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II drive and boot kit) to a preschool and they loved it. Picture and math
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games abound for that age, and the mono-chromatic monitors are not a
>
problem.
>
3. All cables were sorted and then tested by meter. If they were 'bad', they
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were sold as scrap (see below), if they were good they were put into labeled
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zip lock bags -- we used the kind with the white patch already on -- and put
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into $2.97 bins, made by Sterlite, from the local WalMart (probably from
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reclaimed plastics, such as computer cable coverings and housing!! ;)
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4. All mice and input devices were similarly kept, sorted, tested and sorted
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again.
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5. NIC cards were kept, as were later-model sound and video cards.
>
>
It's MUCH easier to store components, and takes less space, than intact
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machines. One filing cabinet can hold oodles of ram, filed neatly by type
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and size. Plastic bins are very useful for storing items, and aids the
>
process when volunteers are 'on the clock'...you can get much more done when
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you know where everything is.
>
>
We did our recycle in two consecutive weekends, with about 20 young folks
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involved. First weekend we had to move and pre-sort everything. Then we
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started breaking down the machines that we identified as 'parts'.
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>
Weekend two was spent with the young folks putting together 'work piles', by
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picking inventory ;) out of the bins to make full machines.
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>
During the week, without student involvement, we went through our 'want
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list' of families or groups who were waiting, and we flagged what we could
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meet from what we had.
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>
It took some planning and loads of work, but we had a great time. Having the
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students involved was such a blessing, because they were energetic and funny
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and brimming with an apparent camaraderie bolstered by doing something for
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others.
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>
The whole thing -- not to sound overly sappy -- was quite inspiring. And
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while you've got a lot of work and headaches ahead, I know from my
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experience that it was all worth it. Complainers and greedsters and all!
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>
Best of luck, and Thanks for doing it in the first place!
>
--
>
Gary
>
>
>
[1] We scrapped for pay, through a company that bought recyclables. All of
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the proceeds from the scrapping went toward other needed parts, software and
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supplies (a few soldering irons, solder, etc.)
>
>
We sold _all_ plastic cases;
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We sold all CRT's intact [some state laws require the recycling of TV's and
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CRT's, partly because they are toxic] -- keep that in mind if you have kids
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helping. A mask is a must for removing monitors, as the CRT's are coated
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with dust, not to mention the dust inside most old machines...Asthama and
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Chronic Bronchitis alert!;
>
We sold all metal scraps from internal brackets and braces, sorted aluminum
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and steel;
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We sold all wires and cables (yes, there's a market).
>
>
Depending on your geographic area, there are fewer or more options for
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recycling. Some folks we know have shipped their 'debris', reducing their
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net income from recycling, but still...I think it's worth it. Especially if
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young people are involved in the process (ours were), then it helps complete
>
the circle 'in action'.
>
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