[LUAU] eWaste Legislation, ecycling, and You

[R. Scott Belford]

Aloha

I believe that everyone on these mailing lists understands that we have 
tried to facilitate and foster the development of FOSS by building 
learning opportunities around discarded computers.  There are more 
people than I can remember these last 6 years who have had the chance to 
learn or to do something otherwise impossible because of our work.  All 
in all I would say that HOSEF has done pretty well at catalyzing the 
adoption and awareness of FOSS.

Our mission is fulfilled and our tax-exemption maintained by repurposing 
discarded computers in order to promote and sustain Free and Open Source 
Software.  We cannot quantify the value of this amazing sandbox of 
donated hardware available for R&D and learning.  However, the work of 
moving metal can become a mission in itself, and it has arguably slowed 
the work of sustaining FOSS because we spend so much time promoting.

It is with these thoughts in mind, and the emerging trend of 
eco-friendly, low cost computers, that the legislation I reference below 
is rather timely.  It essentially shifts the cost burden of ewaste 
recycling to the manufacturers.  I wish we had considered this in 2000.

My gut feeling about this is that it seems a bit tragic because the 
getting is good now when it comes to 'old' computers and precious 
resource markets.  The average donation to HOSEF is a high-end PIII, and 
lately we seem to get more P4s and LCD monitors than I have counted.  We 
have begun requiring a donation for computers, and we have a growing 
collection of volunteers on our donation mailing list who take care of 
pickups.

I've alluded to, and have just been a bit overwhelmed trying to 
implement, a process to give pre-installed computers, firewalls, and 
servers as gifts for certain membership levels.  I am all but certain 
that there will be a steady flow of people willing to join HOSEF at a 
$50, $100, or higher level if we provide a gift of a computer, class, 
and even delivery.  What will happen if this proves to be as beneficial 
to Hawaii as I conceive, but we lose our supply of P4s, Dual Cores, and 
more?

Contrarily, what happens when the growing number of ePC's drops the 
average price to less than $100?  Obviously there is still a world of 
difference, when you have next to nothing, between a $50 and $100 
expense for technology, but the cost of electricity for a CRT is a 
factor.  It is a great time to try to jumpstart innovation, hope, and 
opportunity with technology.

Language is just words, and Legislation is a function of how we 
interpret these words.  My reading of these bills is that processing 
computers, which is part of the definition of recycling, allows entities 
like HOSEF to still reuse good computers.  If you take a look at the 
recyclers who stepped in when we stopped taking so many computers in 
2005, you will appreciate the hundreds of thousands of dollars in 
funding we lost and that could have been used for the charity.

All in all it does ask a bigger question for anyone looking for work and 
money - why aren't we separating the metal and circuit boards (treated 
as sheet metal by the EPA), the plastics, and the copper CRT yokes for 
after markets that pay money for them?  The lead infused glass of the 
CRT must still be processed as a toxic material, but the rest of these 
components have a growing value to industrialized and developing 
economies.  Handling the world's ewaste is not HOSEF's problem, but 
seeing great learning opportunities and valuable resourced discarded is 
arguably a concern.


HB 2509

RSS Feed

feed://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/rss/HB2509.xml

Text

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/Bills/HB2509_.htm

Status

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/getstatus2.asp?billno=HB2509


SB 2843

Text

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/Bills/SB2843_SD2_.htm

Status

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/getstatus2.asp?billno=SB2843

RSS

feed://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/rss/SB2843.xml



Have you Joined HOSEF and become a member?

http://www.hosef.org/civicspace/membership

(please note that the site will be intermittently down 3-1 and 3-8 
because our esteemed hosts at UH are getting electrical upgrades)


--scott

-- 
R. Scott Belford
Founder/Executive Director
The Hawaii Open Source Education Foundation
P.O. Box 2644
Ewa Beach, HI 96706
808.689.6518 phone/fax
scott at hosef.org

HOSEF is a charitable non-profit with a mission to promote Free and Open 
Source Software by building learning opportunities around previously 
discarded but still functional computers.  We appreciate the time you 
have taken to reach out to us. Beginning in 2008 we have to strongly 
encourage kind contributors like yourself to make a donation with your 
equipment.  This enables us to put computers in parks, schools, 
community centers, developing countries, and the hands of children 
needing them the most.

If you have questions, please contact us at donations at hosef.org

The current suggested schedule for donations is:

PCs and laptops P4 and faster	Free
PCs and laptops PII and faster	$10
G3 iMacs/books and faster	$10
17' monitors and larger		$10
Additional Keyboards		$1
Additional Mice			$1
Scanners			$5
Inkjet Printers			$10
Laser Printers < 25 lbs		$20
Laser Printers > 25 lbs		$40
Servers, Sun equipment		contact us
Non-functional equipment	$.75/lb.

If you are requesting a pickup, please give us your address, times of 
availability, and, if you intend to leave the equipment for us, the form 
of payment.  Dropoffs are available if arrangements are made in advance.