Managed to get a (battered) second/third hand Dell XPS 13 for peanuts to replace the laptop with the bad hinge.
The screen is better than anything I've owned before by a country mile, it's powerful as fuck and it nearly fits in my pocket... And it's not gone to landfill
Today’s magical (free!) recycling station find: a Weber Q2000 gas grill!
We’ve been talking about getting a gas grill as we’re not allowed coal bbqs in the building, and our electrical one is great, but only serves 2-3 people which isn’t enough when we have guests… and this one looks to be in good shape! And even if something isn’t working I’m sure it can be fixed for less than the cost of a new one!
#thriftfind #thrifting #reducereuserecycle
Hey, looking for buying advice/recommendations on a replacement subwoofer for a home audio system. I had a cerwin Vega 12" sub, but I think design /manufacturing flaws gave it a minimized lifespan (Short on the LFE and an internal resistor component fired the board). I would like something of a similar range but I'm not an audiophile here and can't pretend to hear "magic levels" especially in bass. boost for reach appreciated.
Alternatively any body know of someone that repairs audio equipment in the Ottawa area?
16 places to responsibly dispose of old #electronics in #Philadelphia
When not properly recycled, #Ewaste can leach into the waterways — and we miss a chance to get more use out of precious materials.
Words by McKenzie Morgan
Nov 30, 2024
"For many Philadelphians, old #CellPhones, #laptops and other #electronics gather dust in drawers or boxes in the back of closets.
"When residents finally start to feel fed up with the clutter or during their annual spring cleanings, these devices are sometimes tossed into the trash or blue recycling bins. These forgotten electronics have become a part of a growing citywide e-waste problem.
"Philadelphia creates around 1.5 million tons of residential and commercial waste annually, according to government initiative SmartCityPHL. Electronics and textiles comprise about 10% of the city’s waste stream. The rest is sent to incinerators and landfills, bringing hazardous and resource-rich materials with it.
"But the good news is, there’s something residents can do about it.
"While giving up or not upgrading our devices isn’t always an option, getting them out of our curbside bins and landfills is. The Philadelphia metro region has over a dozen facilities where you can donate and properly recycle your e-waste, keeping them out of landfills and giving them new life.
Here’s a guide to places in the Philadelphia region to responsibly dispose of old electronics."
Read more:
https://technical.ly/civic-news/electronics-recycling-phone-computer-philadelphia-2/
I'm in America and I'm cleaning up. I have a box of #xbox360 games and dvds. Where should I #donate these? I have a #goodwill and #salvationarmy near me. I'm not aware of any other options to be honest.
There are an incredible number of decent used bicycles around here on Craiglist for <$100. (add $100-200 for new tires/tubes/brakes). Clearly, more bicycles are manufactured and purchased than are ridden, and they have a very long lifetime. (which is good, I suppose... better than the opposite problem, with PCs and smartphones, where they are tossed or unusable). #ReduceReuseRecycle
Seasonal decorations made from out of date old textbook in our library. #ReduceReuseRecycle
Good: thrift store and e-Bay bargains on basically new clothing.
Bad: funky thrift- and ebay-store ultra-stinky detergent they use on the clothing.
(Have yet to figure out the best formula for de-stinkifying the stuff, mostly "wash it a bunch of times and hang it outside for a week or two until it doesn't smell")
I am really trying to reduce my contribution the waste stream but need to figure this one out.
Thrift store dress shoes showed up (fit perfectly! Look like basically new/unworn). $15 including shipping! So, if you're getting married, planning your own funeral, or need me at a movie premiere, I'm ready! 
#Random #ReduceReuseRecycle
remember, kids: you don't need the new iphone. #iphone16 #buyRefurbished #rightToRepair #reduceReuseRecycle #fuckGoogle #fuckApple #fuckAI
@dsacer we need to lay the pressure on and do everything we can.
#ReduceReuseRecycle
When I worked in hospital systems….. my God, the waste.
I’m sure there’s a way to cut it down. It must be cut down across the board.
This is another great idea (imho).
LENDING LIBRARIES
"Create a free community lending library to let people freely lend and exchange tools, seeds, sleds or snowshoes, books, cooking equipment, games, and more.
"Nearly every community has a traditional library, but why stop at loaning out books? Community lending libraries are helping neighbors lend and share all sorts of items, from seeds and cooking equipment to sports gear and tools. They take many shapes and forms, from the common Little Free Libraries you see on streets and in neighborhoods to more formalized libraries that lend items other than books. Just like regular libraries, lending libraries have many benefits — decreasing consumption, helping people access tools and supplies for free, and building community."
https://www.communityworkshopllc.com/goodstuff/2021/3/10/how-to-lending-libraries
@mu This is one kind of reuse center that I found on the web. It's something a local library could sponsor. Also, there are places that do that with building materials (#HabitatForHumanity #ReStores).
#CreativeReuse Centers Benefit #Communities & the #Planet
By Maureen Wise
Feb 14, 2024
"What Is a #CreativeReuseCenter?
"A creative reuse center is a #CraftThriftStore and so much more. It’s a business or nonprofit organization that collects #usable materials, leftovers, or surplus creative supplies and redistributes them to the community for reuse. These organizations accept donations from individuals as well as manufacturers, industry partners, and businesses. Donations can be in the form of leftover craft supplies such as your craft stash. They may also include cabinet or flooring samples from a home renovation company or the end of a roll of vinyl from a sign manufacturer.
"Each center makes decisions differently and has different donors and #donations rules, but the ethos is consistent: They help people see the potential in useable waste as art. The creative possibilities of cast-off materials are limited only by the imagination of the artist. Creative reuse is all about #upcycling and #repurposing: elevating and #reusing an unwanted material or item into something entirely new with purposeful value."
https://earth911.com/inspire/creative-reuse-centers-benefits/
Pretty neat.
"The publisher instructed people to tear the discarded newspaper into small pieces, plant the shreds in soil, and then water the container as they would any plant."
https://www.oneearth.org/the-newspaper-that-gives-back-to-the-earth-literally/
SO: Honey, why do you keep hoarding all these plastic jars?
Me: Uh. Radio projects, I might use this for a ...
SO: Thanks, that's all I needed to know.
(Yesterday I finally used one of the things from my "actual junk" pile)
Apparently the average is 4-5 which blows my mind.
3/3
#ReduceReuseRecycle #ClimateCrisis
There is then 1 load a week of either bedding or towels as they are on a fortnightly rotation.
Then a small “hand wash” cycle maybe once a month.
Making 2.25 loads a week roughly.
2/3
#ReduceReuseRecycle #ClimateCrisis
I do a single load of laundry each week for 2 adults. Most of it is underwear, with generally 4-8 garments.
It has been years now since I stopped washing things so often. There honestly is just no need for most items.
1/3
#ReduceReuseRecycle #ClimateCrisis
I guess I'm going to have to take one for the team and finish this bottle of wine that's about to go bad.
Startups are raking in up to $85,000 per day by recycling #gold and #copper from #electronics thrown in the trash — #EWaste 'gold mining' efforts are expanding
By Aaron Klotz
published January 31, 2024
The e-waste recycling boom is upon us.
"Did you know that the materials inside your old, outdated TV, laptop, desktop, and other electronic devices contain precious metals such as gold and copper? According to Business Insider, small startups are cashing in on the untapped potential of the e-waste industry, making as much as $85,000 per day #recycling old electronic #CircuitBoards. The initiatives will also likely continue to expand — worldwide, there's a projected $55-$60 billion worth of precious metals inside abandoned circuit boards just waiting to be collected.
"E-waste is quickly becoming one of the biggest #environmental #hazards affecting our world today. More than 50 million tons of electronics get tossed in the trash, with much of that garbage being sent to third-world countries (most notably #India) for recycling. It's an environmental nightmare that's projected to become substantially worse over the next decade due to our insatiable desire for new #phones, #laptops, #gaming #PCs, #TVs, and anything that requires electricity to run.
"On top of this, much of our e-waste doesn't get recycled at all, being left to rot in garages, #landfills, and city streets. The United States alone only collects about 15% of all the e-waste for recycling that its citizens create on a daily basis.
"The flip side to this situation is that e-waste is simultaneously becoming one of the most underrated 'gold mines' of the modern era, thanks to all of the valuable metals housed inside most circuit boards. Worldwide, there's a projected $55-$60 billion worth of precious metals inside abandoned circuit boards just waiting to be collected.
"Business Insider followed several scrappers and a small startup in Sydney, #Australia, to see how much income these smaller entities can make from recycling e-waste. It found that solo scrappers can't make a full-time income out of e-waste yet, but scrappers who work in larger organizations, particularly organizations / startups with access to heavy machinery, can generate some serious income.
"One such startup that Business Insider interviewed was #MintInnovation. Scrappers who find e-waste and drop it off at Mint Innovation can make as much as several thousand dollars per load. Mint Innovation has virtually mastered the art of metal extraction from e-waste, utilizing tons of special machines and a secret special sauce designed to break down electronic circuit boards and separate the valuable metals inside from unwanted plastics and other materials the metals are attached to.
"The fully automated setup Mint Innovation has built can generate an impressive $85,000 of income per day from the raw metals it collects from e-waste. That translates into about $30 million in income per year.
"Mint Innovation perfectly demonstrates the amount of potential income the e-waste industry can access right now. The problem, however, is that there is not a lot of infrastructure dedicated to e-waste processing, making it difficult for e-waste scavengers to make a livable income. That could easily change in the future, as e-waste pollution continues to rise and more entrepreneurs understand the income potential e-waste can generate.
"If you want to take a crack at recycling your own e-waste, we made a fun tutorial several years ago to teach you the basics.
Source::
How to:
https://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/550-gold-motherboard-chemistry.html
#LessMining #MoreRecycling
#RightToRepair #LithiumMining #CopperMining #Reuse #Recycle #ReduceReuseRecycle
