[HN Gopher] Responsibly recycle your used Dell and non-Dell equi...
___________________________________________________________________
Responsibly recycle your used Dell and non-Dell equipment for free
Author : CTOSian
Score : 41 points
Date : 2021-08-25 20:36 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (recycling.dell.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (recycling.dell.com)
| woofie11 wrote:
| I kinda wish this stuff was saved in a warehouse somewhere in a
| deep cave. In a post-apocalyptic world, even a z80 microprocessor
| can put our tech tree 1000 years forward.
| vorpalhex wrote:
| There are a few companies using old salt mines for
| preservation. I am sure they'd be happy to include a tech time
| capsule if you reached out to them.
| Zenst wrote:
| If you showed somebody 1000 years ago a z80 - they would
| probably think it was jewellery - a broach of some-kind.
|
| So how much knowledge would carry forward 1000 years from now,
| after all the tooling needed to reverse engineer a cpu like the
| z80 and working out how it is made, is going to be a huge
| effort.
|
| Besides, I'm sure many would argue that a 6502 would push it
| forward a few years faster.
| woofie11 wrote:
| I'm less concerned about someone from a thousand years ago,
| as I am about me. COVID21 (or nukes or insert your favorite
| apocalypse) sweeps through and wipes out 90% of mankind.
|
| We instantly lose our ability to manufacture ICs, which rely
| on a complex tech tree and supply chain to feed many-billion-
| dollar fabs. We'd like to continue to be able to:
|
| - Control industrial machinery
|
| - Communicate with each other
|
| - Balance out bank accounts
|
| - Etc.
|
| 1996-era computers can do almost everything 2021-era
| computers can do from the perspective of keeping society
| running. I won't have 3d games or machine learning, but
| accounting, word processing, and similar are fine. Most of
| the changes in the past quarter-century were in how we use
| computers, more so than fundamentals.
|
| Having a cache can mean the difference between being set back
| 1000 years due to systemic collapse, or being set back 50
| years.
|
| This isn't a time capsule thing. This is about immediate,
| operational resilience when the last of my computers breaks
| without supply chains.
| umanwizard wrote:
| Now I want to watch a movie about a post-apocalyptic society
| where one's social status is based on the size and rarity of
| one's CPU-jewellery collection.
| Zenst wrote:
| Oh I'm sure if Lady Gaga did it once, it would be chaos. I
| still recall living thru the era of https://blog.heritagepa
| rtscentre.com/blog/2016/03/15/remembe...
| maxerickson wrote:
| A nice paper book about copper, electricity and discrete
| components.
| Zenst wrote:
| Why not a plastic book, more chance of surviving.
| millzlane wrote:
| Not available for US? They have an option to send old batteries
| back to them after a replacement but OOW machines are SOL.
| mxuribe wrote:
| There is a story to tell here beyond just conventional recycling
| computers...
|
| One could be on the digital divide. For example, there are plenty
| of computers that may not even need recycling which could be
| given new life by installing a lightweight linux distribution.
| This opens up opportunities for folks on the tough side of the
| digital divide...because perfectly functional computers can be
| repurposed for lightweight use and donated to folks who can not
| afford computers.
|
| Another approach could be for Dell to acknowledge to donor, "hey,
| we noticed that yo wish to recycle that computer...did you know
| that your machine can run Ubuntu, and maybe given new life? We
| even sell you a $10 support package for ubuntu, etc.?" Maybe this
| is not always possible, but there are cross-selling opportunities
| for Dell and Ubuntu here. (I say ubuntu not to exclude other
| linux distros but simply because Dell already sells computers
| loaded with ubuntu, so there's precedenct for support.)
|
| I'm sure there are other options beyond the above...because just
| having a web form for conventional recycling almost feels...i
| don't know "disposable"? Am i crazy for thinking this?
| kop316 wrote:
| > installing a lightweight linux distribution
|
| I don't even know how lightweight it needs to be. I am typing
| this on a Thinkpad x200 (laptop from 2008, Intel Core 2 Duo)
| with Debian Bullseye and MATE as it's DE. It does everything I
| need to do (Web browsing, SSH, development). I also didn't
| choose MATE for lightweight reasons, it's because I like it.
|
| I also have a Thinkpad T61 and T60, and I have been meaning to
| bring those up and try them out, but my x200 works so well I
| haven't bothered to try yet.
| trangus_1985 wrote:
| I would love to see what the environmental impact of recycling
| a computer (and acquiring a new one with lower power
| consumption) versus buying a new one. I suppose that makes more
| sense for business than home, though.
| kop316 wrote:
| On my thinkpad x200, I seem to use ~11-12 Watts doing normal
| usage.
|
| For newer laptops, what would be the expected usage?
| tpxl wrote:
| Similar, but with a much better perf/W. That's the biggest
| problem with old hardware. I'd love to be able to run old
| servers with dual cores and such in a big cluster, but 60W
| for an old CPU with 10% of the performance of a similar
| modern CPU is just not very attractive ):
| icegreentea2 wrote:
| If you aimed for similar class (ultraportable), you're
| going to be in pretty much the same ballpark. Ultraportable
| CPUs are normally in the sub 15W (peak) now, and screens
| are
|
| The embodied energy of the laptop is high (estimate in the
| ~5GJ range) (http://conferences.sigcomm.org/hotnets/2011/pa
| pers/hotnetsX-...).
|
| Ballparking now... assuming 5GJ of embodied energy, 20W
| power draw, 100% duty cycle, you'll need to run a laptop
| for about 8 years for its power draw to match its embodied
| energy. That means that changing laptops much more
| frequently than that will probably result in net higher
| energy consumption. Obviously, the lower the power
| consumption gets, the longer the "payoff" period becomes -
| this is why servers which might have 10x the embodied
| energy, but >40x the power draw are still economical to
| have more rapid hardware refresh cycles.
| JadeNB wrote:
| > If you aimed for similar class (ultraportable), you're
| going to be in pretty much the same ballpark.
| Ultraportable CPUs are normally in the sub 15W (peak)
| now, and screens are
|
| I think this got truncated.
| Bukhmanizer wrote:
| As someone who does this, you're not wrong, but I don't know
| how many lightweight Linux distributions your typical person
| who can't manage to install Linux would be able to, or want to
| use, even with some support.
|
| The only thing I could see working is if you basically made it
| like ChromeOS, a locked down, web browser based machine. Which
| actually wouldn't be the worst idea considering most people
| just use their computers to go on the internet.
| milesward wrote:
| _cough_ neverware _cough_ https://www.neverware.com/
| sokoloff wrote:
| I installed lubuntu on a comically low powered AMD E-350
| computer for my grandmother when her old desktop died.
|
| Gave her a simplified desktop with a weather display and big
| icons for her email, her Facebook, and the obituary page of
| her hometown newspaper.
|
| She transitioned to it just fine and only once in five years
| did I have to walk someone through the fsck process from what
| was probably hundreds of unclean shutdowns.
| mxuribe wrote:
| No doubt that there would be a wide spectrum of levels of
| acceptance...some folks even given a good optioon for support
| might choose to recycle their old machine because they're
| genuinely interested in getting the shiny newness...so
| offering any lightweight option with even cheap support won't
| be accepted by some folks...but i have to believe that there
| are folks out there who when *informed* that "hey, you know
| what? your computer is still usable for a little while
| longer..." might think twice before getting rid of their old
| machine.
|
| And, BTW, if you're doing this already, then good on you!
| Kudos for helping avoid machines hitting the landfills,
| recycling centers unnecessarily!
| delgaudm wrote:
| That's cool. I wish the page included _any_ info one should
| consider before shipping of a computer containing potentially
| sensitive information on it.
| speed_spread wrote:
| I'd also be interested in some detail of the recycling
| operation. Are components reused when possible, and if so,
| under what selection criteria? If instead they are recycled for
| base materials, what processes are used for extraction and
| waste disposal?
|
| If all I'm doing is exporting the problem to a corrupted
| country with lax environmenmtal laws, then it's not helping at
| all.
| throwaway47372 wrote:
| The country list doesn't include United States?
| icegreentea2 wrote:
| Heh. Their terms and conditions are actually relevant for once.
|
| > NOTICE REGARDING CUSTOMER DATA: You are responsible for
| removing all confidential data or data subject to applicable
| Data Protection legislation that may be stored on the Computer
| Hardware. Before pickup by the carrier, You are responsible
| for:
|
| > (a) Deleting the data on the hard disk drives and any other
| storage devices in the Computer Hardware such as mobiles
| memories;
|
| > (b) Backing up or transferring any data prior to deletion (if
| you want to keep the data); and
|
| > (c) Removing any removable media, such as mobile cards,
| diskettes, CDs or PC Cards. Dell does not accept liability for
| lost or confidential data or any software.
| mrfusion wrote:
| Dude you're getting a Dell!
| mrtweetyhack wrote:
| ebay
| formerly_proven wrote:
| Industry loves recycling / crushing machines because it removes
| working inventory from circulation. It's a very simple tactic to
| boost sales and the exact opposite of what is ecological.
|
| Reuse, reduce, recycle.
| 2muchcoffeeman wrote:
| I've known organisations who trashed old computers and wouldn't
| even let staff get pieces without the HD (if data leaks were
| their concern).
|
| I guess all industries are pushing the recycling line and not
| the reuse part.
| tpxl wrote:
| Remember the Sonos "recycling" program? Deliberately brick old
| devices to get a discount on a new device.
| LegitShady wrote:
| I was looking for some speakers recently and ended up getting
| very traditional tower speakers instead of anything sonos
| because I'm confident they will continue to work pretty much
| forever.
| beamatronic wrote:
| Home Audio, in terms of speakers and amplifiers, was
| "solved" in the 1980's and 1990's. A lot of this equipment
| will last for decades, is serviceable, and isn't dependent
| on the cloud.
| peterb wrote:
| This is so true and you can buy high quality gear for
| cheap on Craigslist, Kijiji, VarageSale or your local
| garage sale.
| mavhc wrote:
| Did they unbrick them once you returned them and make even
| more profit?
| Closi wrote:
| Nope, no return you just throw the perfectly good equipment
| in the bin. The hardware was still really good and
| perfectly usable, just intentionally bricked by Sonos.
| Ultimate waste.
|
| A shame as I have lots of sonos equipment and otherwise I
| think they are great and their kit has good support and
| lasts a long time.
| karmakaze wrote:
| I remembered that as reduce, reuse, recycle and had to look it
| up to see if there was a shift in priorities.
| daneel_w wrote:
| Is your laptop still working? Then don't give it back to Dell.
| Sell or give it to someone else who can use it for another year
| or two.
| mey wrote:
| Check out FreeGeek if you are in Portland. Offer it up to your
| local Buy Nothing group.
|
| I am sure our HN ppl can recommend other places to send
| functional computer gear before sending it for recycling.
| foreigner wrote:
| "No pickup days are available for this location". What parts of
| the world are supported?
| Symbiote wrote:
| EU countries plus the UK are listed.
|
| It's probably Dell's implementation of the legal requirement
| for them to recycle electronic devices. (WEEE directive.)
| donalhunt wrote:
| But not Ireland (which has a large Dell presence).
| aurizon wrote:
| The usual recyclers usually used extract most saleable hard
| drives, cards and memory. Some of these components have a long
| life in other places = $$, many recyclers fail to scrub, however
| responsible data practices should have this data well encrypted -
| but not always. Dell will contract to scrub drives but may not
| sell them?? Downstream recyclers will sell these. There is a
| large smelter, the Horne Smelter, run by Glencore
| https://www.glencore.com/what-we-do/recycling/operations There
| are others. These take mixed computers, printers etc and smelt
| them in a huge retort with flux and other materials. The steel is
| extracted, so is the copper, zinc, gold and other trace metals,
| They have an up-to-date fume scrubbed smelter with minimal
| pollution. The scrubbed fume dust is processed for other trace
| metals and then turned into a glass that is crushed and used for
| rockwool, asphalt etc,
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2021-08-25 23:00 UTC)