Recycling Computers at Access Space
Access Space is an arts charity which uses recycled computers to support a range of creative and learning activities. We depend on donated computers which we restore to life using Free and Open-Source Software.
We do our best to re-use the computers people donate to us, which we believe is a significantly greener option than recycling - for a number of reasons:
- Recycling takes more energy and resources.
- Recycling implies destruction and therefore new products. People to buy more stuff to replace the thing they've just recycled.
- Re-use reduces the need to buy new stuff. We've run an open-access computer centre for eight years and never bought a single computer!
- Donating your computer for re-use at Access Space will help us continue to offer extremely high-value, creative, educational and volunteering opportunities.
Having said this, although we re-use as much of your donated equipment as possible, it's going to have to get recycled at some point. When we recycle monitors and large laser printers we get charged at least £5 per unit, so we pass this charge on to you at the point where you dontate your equipment.
So, even though we're asking you for a contribution, it's only to cover the direct costs - our labour, spare parts, and transport are free. However, we appreciate that some people may not be able to meet the cost of recycling with us. Fortunately, Veolia (formerly Onyx) will collect your monitor for free if you are a Sheffield Council Tennant, or they'll recycle it for free if you can take the monitor to a Council Dumpit Site. We are advised by Veolia that they will dispose of your monitor in an environmentally friendly way.
Home PCs
Summary (households and individuals): Sorry - we can't collect, and we'll charge you £5 for each monitor or large laser printer (to cover the eventual cost of recycling).
If the computers in question are “home” PCs and monitors then Access Space will deal with your old stuff.
- Please bring it to Access Space when we’re open.
- We’re really sorry, but we can’t collect your stuff. If we did, we wouldn’t be doing anything else!
- We’re happy to accept computers, printers and other peripherals, but we don’t usually deal with things like phones, faxes, photoccopiers or other office equipment that doesn’t plug into a computer.
- Screens and some other items now count as hazardous waste and are costly to dispose of in the correct, environmentally friendly way. We now ask for £5 per screen to contribute to recycling costs. We also have to ask for this for each big printer you bring us. (Normal-sized desktop lasers are fine - it’s the big ones that cost us. If you can’t lift it in one hand, please be prepared to contribute.)
- We don’t ask for cash to deal with other items, but donations are always appreciated!
- Please note that the way we recycle screens is 100% WEEE compliant. We need to recycle many screens - even if wee reuse your screen, we’ll most likely have to dispose of another one which it will be replacing.
Work PCs
Summary (businesses): Lowtech Ltd. might be able to collect large volumes of PC equipment. Lowtech make a charge of £8 for each monitor and large laser printer.
If they’re “work” PCs and monitors then Lowtech Ltd (our friendly recycler) will help you.
- Their policy is similar to ours.
- They make a charge of £8 for each monitor, and nothing for base units or printers. They have a very good discount scheme if you’re giving them complete systems.
- You can drop off a reasonable quantity (less than 6 units) at Access Space by arrangement with us. Lowtech Ltd will collect them from us and deal with them, but they let us take any good stuff first, for helping act as a collection centre.
- If you have more than 6 units, or you’d like Lowtech Ltd to collect units, then please get in touch with them.
Lowtech Ltd. operate from Access Space (in fact, they set us up!).
Their website is http://lowtech.org/intro/
and you can email
mailto:james@lowtech.org for more information.