TechHui

Hawaiʻi's Technology Community

HI All !

I wanted to start this topic off with something I feel is extremely important. It has a major impact onto our community, and the world at large. The topic ? E-waste.

How do you currently handle your E-Waste ?
Do you know where it goes after you discard it ?


In this forum, I hope to create an ongoing discussion about the problem, what others are doing about it, who is the best service to use, can we verify they processing it legitimately, and of course, what is being done locally to keep the hazardous materials out of our landfill.

First, a few sobering videos and links so we can all establish the true scale of the problem, just in case there are a few isolated people that don't think it is a problem.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/ghana804/video/video_inde...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et7U6cx9aOU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHTWRYXy2gE&NR=1

In the first video, the area filmed used to be a pristine wetland. You will see a shot of a computer part with the label: “School District of Philadelphia.” I hear the average monitor has about 5 pounds of lead and mercury in it.

Here is another org that is taking the fight personal : http://www.ban.org/


Many of you know that I run a non profit org, Hawaiian Hope. Among the many things we do, we take donations of computer hardware and build classroom in homeless shelters, plus give computers to people once they move back into housing.
Below you can find links to articles about us on the web and in our local newspapers.
http://www.techhui.com/forum/topics/new-computer-for-christmas
http://www.starbulletin.com/business/090304_Hawaiian_Hope_to_open_c...
http://www.starbulletin.com/business/20090316_tech_view.html
http://onpovertyforum.blogspot.com/search?q=hawaiian+hope

As a non profit org that receives hardware as donations, we also get dumped on us a fairly large volume of scraps that people somehow consider a "donation." Often hidden in the piles are broken monitors, printers that are bleeding ink, old corroded parts, etc. I have talked to a number of non profits, and many are in the same situation, having to deal with a pile of dead hardware of various forms that were unknowingly dumped on them.

For us, we have a temporary (small) warehouse where we separate the good stuff from the junk and then stack the junk up. So we can at least store it for a little while.

While we continue to implement the screening process of telling people what we will accept and what we will not, still, almost every day someone has hidden some scrap in a box and "Donated" one good thing along with some box of trash. One day I showed up and someone dropped off a "donation" of 25 computer monitors out in the parking lot. Before I even looked at them, the building manager was having a fit. Then after we get them inside and hook them up, we come to find out they are ALL DOA. We have even had "donations" from rather prestigious agencies where, after we pick up the hardware and get it back to our offices to start testing it, not only were items not working, but internally they cut all of the wires and purposely damaged the items more so they would not work at all. Yes, I gave them the follow up phone call and explanation of how UN acceptable this was.


Overall, it is a rapidly growing problem for us (and many non profits.) And, even though we are a non profit org, none of the scrap dealers will assist us and take the dead stuff for free. Last year we went to the UH recycling days and took all of our scrap. What we took was an impressive pile :
110 dead, dying or completely outdated monitors.
50 computers
15 or so boxes of various other debris (cell phones, batteries, PC cards, etc...)

This year, here it is only July and we are already at 75 monitors that are dead, and possibly about 100 computers that are so old we cant even give them away, not to mentions boxes and boxes of small parts.. As a self funded (no government grants) non profit org, it is simply not an option to try to pay to get rid of this junk. Even non profits that are funded through grants cant afford it.

What do we do ? What do other non profits do ? What do you do ?

Are there any agencies or companies that are interested in helping us or other non profits out ? partnerships of : instead of donating cash, you help pay for e-waste disposal ? OR even, someplace that has a warehouse that can handle a stockpile of e-waste till the UH recycling days arrive ?

Can we get UH to do this 2 times a year ?

For individuals and organizations that want to do the right thing, its hard to manage doing it rightwhen :
....... 1) it is so incredibly expensive and there is no budget for it,
........2) you have no place to store and keep it for long periods of time.


Which brings me to the topic of "do you know where it goes" ?

Here is another sobering link :
http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2009/090526_fake_recycling_events_pitts...

I was recently at a computer store near our office, and was talking to the store owner about E-waste. Surprisingly, he told me. "Bring it all over ! I recycle the stuff !" Then I tried to explain to him that we have over 400 monitors and other dead hardware and it is most likely beyond his capability. "NO, I will take it all off your hands for free."

I had to take a moment and think, "did I actually hear him make that statement ?" So I asked what he does with it as I know there is no one in Hawaii that is licensed to process hazardous waste. He tells me that he packs it all in containers and then send it out to be recycled. (red flag) Ok, there it is, red flag is up... I did not ask him more as to where it is shipped to, but I know that every other e-waste recycler on the island charges hefty fees to ship the stuff. And I assume shipping it back to the mainland. This guy offering to take it all for free just gives me chills. (I still need to ask more questions)

Who are you turning your E-waste over to and do you know what they do with it ?
The website I listed earlier, http://www.ban.org has started a certification process for E-waste called " e-stewards" http://www.e-stewards.org/
" The e-Stewards recyclers are a group of leading North American electronics recyclers and asset managers who have been qualified as upholding the highest standard of environmental and social responsibility."

Lets make sure that when WE do the right thing and dispose of it, that they in turn do the right thing as well.

_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_

Next Discussion (to be posted soon)
Who does E-waste recycling in Hawaii, who is the best (services they offer) who is the cheapest and who do you use ?

Views: 69

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

My ewaste is piling up in my garage, just like everyone else's.

Ken
Personally, I'm hoping the City allows Hawaiian Waste Systems to operate, and ship trash offshore via private channels.

It would be a huge win for Hawaii if we had a vendor who handles e-waste by shipping to the Mainland, where there are more options for proper recycling and disposal. I'm particularly concerned about how Hawaii disposes of CFL bulbs in the future.

'Shame that Mufi's trying to kill this company off. I guess they didn't make their Mufi-Mafia contributions, or they didn't hire enough "Unionized Mafia Labor" to build their $10M processing station. :-(

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Sponsors

web design, web development, localization

© 2024   Created by Daniel Leuck.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service