Dealing With Obsolete Computers

Schools and Goodwill stores used to be thrilled to be the recipient of a used computer. No more! Computers become obsolete so fast, that computers just a few years old can’t do much more that help in writing a letter. Computers are now a significant part of our hazardous waste stream.

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition estimates that the 315 million computers expected to become obsolete by the year 2004 would contain, among other hazardous wastes, 1.2 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, 400,000 pounds of mercury and 1.2 million pounds of chromium. Many municipalities ban the disposal of computer and television equipment.

• Consider upgrading computers before throwing them out.

• If your computer is broken, check your Yellow Pages for computer repair services and fix your existing computer before buying a new one.

• Find a computer reseller near you by visiting the database of national retailers at Recycler’s World was established as a worldwide “trading site for information related to secondary or recyclable commodities, by-products, used and surplus items or materials.” The exchange covers used computer items, cartridge remanufacturing and recycling, computer scrap and dismantling, and recycling traders and recyclers.

• Call your local municipality and ask about programs for obsolete computers in your area. A Massachusetts company has devised a way of melting down computer plastic and using it to fill potholes! Who knows what computer reusing entrepreneur may be living near you? RecycleNet Help Line: (519) 767-2913.

Limiting Your Java Waste Starts at Home (by Sustainable Dave)

I was planning on jumping straight to ways to avoid coffee cup waste on the road, but I realized that the problem can be avoided much earlier: Don’t even hit the coffee shops to begin with.

While this may seem like an overly simplified way to go about things (many of my ideas are), let’s think about it. Say the average cup of coffee at your local Coffee Peets & Starbucks conglomerate costs $2. If you get a cup of coffee every morning, five days a week, over a 50-week period (I’m assuming you have a nice boss and get two weeks paid vacation … and dental), that’s $500 over the course of a year.

While $500 seems like enough of an incentive, it doesn’t stop there. You’ve also got to factor in the wasted time standing in line in the store (3 minutes per cup would add up to 12.5 hours during a year), the waste you are creating (250 cups, covers, and warmer sleeves), and, while it can’t be quantified, the extra money you are paying in taxes for all that waste to be disposed of (where do you think landfill and recycling money comes from?). So it’s costing you a lot more than you even recognize, it’s just that because it’s spread out over time, it doesn’t seem that bad.

As an alternative that will save you money, save on waste, and save on time, I’d like to suggest trying to make your cup of joe at home.

Let’s start with coffee makers. There are a ton of electric models on the market and if you have one, then by all means, dust it off and see if it still works. Having said that, if you don’t own one, consider buying one used on (www.craigslist.org) craigslist or a similar site. Some may balk at buying a used coffee maker, but run a concentrate of vinegar and water through it a few times, clean it up, and it’ll be good as new. We had a used Mr. Coffee (or was it a Ms. Coffee, I can’t recall) that we used for years that cost us $10 at a tag sale. One note, however: Unplug them when not in use. Doing so will not only be safer (ever leave it on when you head out of the house for the day?) but will save on energy (that little clock timer is sucking power every second it’s plugged in).

Now, staying with the auto drip coffeemaker theme for a second, let’s talk about filters. There are really two ways to go; “disposable” and reusable. The paper “disposable” filters come in white (bleached) and brown (unbleached) and there is some debate over whether or not the bleached ones are a problem as they may leach chemicals into your java. I don’t really need to see any big studies to recognize that a chance of drinking bleach doesn’t sit as well with me as opting not to in the first place, so I’d go with the brown ones if “disposable” is your choice.

While the paper filters do a slightly better job at catching all of the grounds, a metal reusable is a much better way to go in my opinion. The paper filters will run you about $2 for a 100-pack while the reusable (which you can toss in the dishwasher if you’d like) will run you just under $10. The metal filters will save you money and cut down on waste. We’ve been using them for years and have never had a complaint.

Back to coffee makers, if electric auto is your thing, than have at it. Personally, I prefer one of two less energy intensive methods. The first is a French drip coffee maker. We actually have one from camping a few years ago and use it all the time. You put in grounds, pour in hot water let it sit, and plunge. No mess, no fuss, and a really good cup of coffee. The other method is similar to an auto called a Melitta. It’s basically a carafe that has a little filter holder on top. Pour the water in and it will filter through the grounds, emptying down into the carafe. Voila, coffee sans coffee maker.

As for the coffee itself, here’s my suggestion. Many stores now sell coffee in bulk using their own generic bags. Fill one of these up, pay for it, bring it home (you can grind at the store or at home) and then empty the coffee into an airtight container (a Tupperware will work fine). Then fold up the bag, stick it in your reusable shopping bag and you’ll have it there next time to bring back to the store. You’ll never have to toss one of those plastic/metallic coffee bean bags in the trash again.

A pound of coffee will make somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 cups of coffee (by my estimation) and will sell for about $10 or less. For 250 cups of coffee, you’re looking at $50 compared to $500 on the go, and you’re cutting down on your waste stream by a major factor. And while we’re on coffee, I’d suggest checking out fair trade beans as opposed to non-fair trade. The prices are now comparable and you’ll feel better for having supported a sustainable living wage for the farmers.

And finally, wondering what to do with those coffee grounds when you are done with making your morning cup, check out these tips for more than enough ideas.

While making your cup at home may seem like a lot of work it really isn’t. If you have an auto drip maker, you can set it up the night before, plug it in before your shower and voila, coffee when you are done. If you are using one of the other methods I mentioned, you can look for your eyeglasses while the water is boiling, and then it’s just pouring it over the grinds, add milk and sugar, and drink.

Like anything else, making your own coffee at home takes a bit of experimenting and a bit of training, but you’ll soon realize it’s not that hard. There are a few costs that I can’t quantify, like the electricity/gas it takes to boil the water, but overall, you’ll more than save the price of a maker and metal filter in the first year alone. If anyone has any other energy/waste saving tips on the coffee making front, please feel free to share.

Next up: Coffee on the road and how to avoid those darn cups.

Dave Chameides is an environmental educator and freelance filmmaker. He writes alternative fuel articles for Edmunds.com and maintains the blogs 365 Days of Trash and Achieving Sustainability. While he is presently saving all of his trash for a year to better understand his environmental impact, his main focus is sustainability through education and believes that with knowledge all things are possible.

Build a Compost Heap

Originally posted by Annie B. Bond Apr 22, 2008 7:00 am

Adapted from Four-Season Harvest, by Eliot Coleman

So often, the obvious solution is right at our fingertips, but
it looks so simple that we fail to notice. Generations of
gardeners have consistently come up with the same chain of
logic: A fertile soil is the key to growing garden vegetables;
compost is the key to a fertile soil. The first step in the
four-season harvest is learning to make good compost. It’s
not difficult. Compost wants to happen.

Pick a site near the garden so the finished compost will be
close at hand. Whenever possible, place the heap under the
branches of a deciduous tree so there will be shade in hot
weather and sunlight to thaw the heap in spring. A site
near the kitchen makes it convenient to add kitchen scraps.
Access to a hose is handy for those times when the heap
needs extra moisture. If the site is uphill from the garden,
the heavy work of wheelbarrowing loads of compost will have
gravity on its side.

Build the compost heap by alternating layers of brown
ingredients (such as dried grass stems, old cornstalks, dried
pea and bean vines, reeds, and old hay) with mostly green ones
(young, moist, and fresh materials such as kitchen wastes,
grass clippings, fresh pea vines). Begin with a layer of straw
about 3 inches deep, then add 1 to 6 inches of green ingredients,
another 3 inches of straw, and then more green ingredients.
The thickness of the green layer depends on the nature of the
materials. Loose, open material such as green bean vines or
tomato stems can be applied in a thicker (6-inch) layer,
while denser material that might mat together, such as kitchen
scraps or grass clippings, should be layered thinly (1 to 2
inches). These thicknesses are a place for you to start, but
you will learn to modify them as conditions require.

Sprinkle a thin coverage of soil on top of each green layer.
Make the soil 1/2 inch deep or so depending on what type of
green material is available. If you have just added a layer
of weeds with soil on their roots, you can skip the soil to the
compost heap has both a physical and a microbiological effect:
physical because certain soil constituents (clay particles and
minerals) have been shown to enhance the decomposition of organic
matter; microbiological because soil contains millions of
microorganisms, which are needed to break down the organic
material in the heap. These bacteria, fungi, and other organisms
multiply in the warm, moist conditions as decomposition is
initiated. If your garden is very sandy or gravely, you might
want to find some clay to add to the heap as the soil layer.
As an additional benefit, the clay will improve the balance of
soil particle sizes in your garden.

More on Lawns & Gardens (104 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3187 articles available)