A
Arthur Entlich
I'm reading a LOT of postings of people who are disposing of their
printers because they are old, clogged, banding, or no longer wanted.
Many mention tossing them in the garbage, or bringing them into places
which just recycle the materials.
Since we are approaching another EarthDay it seems like a good time to
provide alternatives that are both better for the planet and might make
other people happy, also.
Certainly, some equipment is either too old, too worn, or no longer can
be repaired due to lack of parts, but many of the printers here have
useful life left in them.
Here are a few ideas on sources to consider to donate your printer (or
other high tech items):
1: One of the fastest growing phenomenon is FREECYCLE. This is a group
of yahoo lists all over the world where people offer free goods for pick
up within their local areas. The protocol for Freecycle is usually
pretty similar throughout the groups. You can offer something, or post
a "wanted" ad. No trades or sales are allowed, only freely given goods.
You can either join the group in your area and visit the postings on a
Yahoo Group, or you can have the list sent to you each day in either
individual or digest messages. In most cases individuals correspond via
email and make arrangements to pick up the goods being given away. Once
the item is promised or taken, a taken notice is posted so people know
it is gone.
Sometime even corporations offer goods.
To find out if your area has a Freecycle simply go to the following URL
and look on the left side for the country and click, then you can look
at lists of the ones in your state or province and find one in your
city, or you can initiate one if there isn't currently.
The URL is:
http://www.freecycle.org
Still other options (in Canada) are:
http://www.reboot.on.ca/
Reboot has a network over Canada where they take older technology and
fix it up and provide it to schools and people who cannot otherwise
afford it. They charge a fee for monitors, and they recycle anything
they can't use or fix.
http://www.reducewaste.ca/resourceL...ational&lang=en&category=Reduction Strategies
The URL above is for a great many items you may wish to discard, and it
provides many options other than the land fill. Again it is a Canadian
resource. I imagine the US and other countries have similar programs.
Also, consider local charities, especially those that run Thrift shops,
computers for schools, or even charities that refurbish computers to
send to developing countries. Don't assume a printer that doesn't meet
your expectations doesn't fit someone else's. Also, sometimes the parts
from two can be put together to make one good one, or some people are
willing to spend the time to repair or clean a printer that you may not.
In the end, you'll feel you have done something positive, someone else
will be grateful, and you have saved some materials from just ending in
the landfill when they could be providing value for someone else.
Art
printers because they are old, clogged, banding, or no longer wanted.
Many mention tossing them in the garbage, or bringing them into places
which just recycle the materials.
Since we are approaching another EarthDay it seems like a good time to
provide alternatives that are both better for the planet and might make
other people happy, also.
Certainly, some equipment is either too old, too worn, or no longer can
be repaired due to lack of parts, but many of the printers here have
useful life left in them.
Here are a few ideas on sources to consider to donate your printer (or
other high tech items):
1: One of the fastest growing phenomenon is FREECYCLE. This is a group
of yahoo lists all over the world where people offer free goods for pick
up within their local areas. The protocol for Freecycle is usually
pretty similar throughout the groups. You can offer something, or post
a "wanted" ad. No trades or sales are allowed, only freely given goods.
You can either join the group in your area and visit the postings on a
Yahoo Group, or you can have the list sent to you each day in either
individual or digest messages. In most cases individuals correspond via
email and make arrangements to pick up the goods being given away. Once
the item is promised or taken, a taken notice is posted so people know
it is gone.
Sometime even corporations offer goods.
To find out if your area has a Freecycle simply go to the following URL
and look on the left side for the country and click, then you can look
at lists of the ones in your state or province and find one in your
city, or you can initiate one if there isn't currently.
The URL is:
http://www.freecycle.org
Still other options (in Canada) are:
http://www.reboot.on.ca/
Reboot has a network over Canada where they take older technology and
fix it up and provide it to schools and people who cannot otherwise
afford it. They charge a fee for monitors, and they recycle anything
they can't use or fix.
http://www.reducewaste.ca/resourceL...ational&lang=en&category=Reduction Strategies
The URL above is for a great many items you may wish to discard, and it
provides many options other than the land fill. Again it is a Canadian
resource. I imagine the US and other countries have similar programs.
Also, consider local charities, especially those that run Thrift shops,
computers for schools, or even charities that refurbish computers to
send to developing countries. Don't assume a printer that doesn't meet
your expectations doesn't fit someone else's. Also, sometimes the parts
from two can be put together to make one good one, or some people are
willing to spend the time to repair or clean a printer that you may not.
In the end, you'll feel you have done something positive, someone else
will be grateful, and you have saved some materials from just ending in
the landfill when they could be providing value for someone else.
Art