1820 Pandora Street
Vancouver, BC
V5L 1M5
604-879-GEEK (4335)
OPEN - Tues. ~ Sat.
11:00am - 6:00pm
CLOSED - Sun. Mon.
Recent Stories
Free Geek Vancouver Qualifies as First Canadian Non-profit e-Steward!
Free Geek qualifies as first Canadian non-profit to be recognized in ethical recycling program
~ No toxic e-Waste dumping in Canada or abroad ~
Finally, it will be easier for computer owners to find a responsible recycler who will not dump computer equipment in landfills, or ship it off to Asia to be dumped over there.
Frustrated with the lack of accountability in the computer recycling industry, Free Geek Vancouver, a community-run non-profit, has managed to qualify as an e-Steward by upholding the most rigourous international standard for social and environmental responsibility around -- the Electronic Recycler's Pledge of True Stewardship, designed by a global e-waste watchdog, the Basel Action Network (BAN). The founder of BAN and Free Geek representatives held a press conference today at their Vancouver facility.
Above: Jim Puckett (seated left) and Ifny Lachance address the press. Photo by David Repa.
"Most people are not aware that 50-80% of so called recyclers will export your old computer to countries like China where it will be managed in horrific nightmarish conditions, that are highly polluting and damaging to human health," said BAN's Jim Puckett. "The Canadian and US governments fail to properly control this toxic trade, and for that reason we created the e-Stewards initiative. It's not for the faint of heart. It's designed to be the most rigourous environmental and social justice criteria for electronics recycling in the world."
"It's hard for the public to know who to trust with their old computers-- this should help!" says Ifny Lachance, a coordinator at Free Geek Vancouver.
"This qualification means a lot to us because it can't be bought -- you have to earn it, you have to prove that you're not lying. Because it's so easy to abuse the system, we think all computer recyclers should be assumed guilty until they prove themselves innocent. That doesn't always make us popular with the competition," she continued.
Free Geek Vancouver is a nonprofit computer recycling and reuse centre, where the community can pitch in to help test, refurbish or dismantle unwanted computer equipment donated by the public. No experience is required, and volunteers receive free computers and workshops. FreeGeek supports its activities through a computer thrift store and recycling revenue.
Above: Volunteers dismantling computers destined for recycling at Free Geek. Photo by Ifny Lachance.
"Lots of folks are in desperate need of access to technology. So here is a perfect way to reduce waste; with a little know-how, our volunteers give unwanted computers a new life, and make them available to people and non-profits for free or very cheap," said David Repa, another coordinator at Free Geek. "This also reduces pollution from manufacturing of new computers, and gets everyone involved in being part of the solution, not the problem."
Electronic waste continues to be the most heavily traded toxic waste onthe planet. UN figures say 50 million tonnes of e-waste are generatedyearly. Canadians alone throw out 140,000 tons of equipment every year,the equivalent of about 5.6 million computers. Most of this materialthat is collected for "recycling" and "re-use" actually ends up dumped or burned in poor countries with few environmental or worker protections.
Left: This should not be called "re-use!" Electronic waste dumped in residential area just outside of Alaba market in Lagos, Nigeria. This e-waste is routinely burned here. Photo used with permission, © Basel Action Network. [More BAN photos here.]
Canada is a major illegal exporter of hazardous wastes, with smugglers and brokers outpacing enforcement officials. In 2006, during Canada's only enforcement effort to date, federal agencies seized 50 containers with 500,000 kg of ewaste at the Port of Vancouver; 27 Canadian companies settled out of court for about $2000 apiece; Ottawa still refuses to release their names. [read story]
Rather than loading your old computer onto a container ship for questionable destinations, Free Geek Vancouver contends that reuse is the highest form of recycling. The leftover material that must be scrapped stays almost entirely within Canada for processing, at facilities that verifiably do not export. A small amount of material is sent to other recyclers who can prove they abide by the Basel Convention. Free Geek itself takes the time to research recyclers before sending them anything, and expects them to be transparent as well.
A list of their recyclers is listed online for the public to see. Free Geek has always been open about their recyclers as a matter of course; additionally, their mailing list archive and meetings are open to the public. Part of the e-Steward qualification process involved BAN verifying that Free Geek Vancouver actually sends their materials to these recyclers as claimed.
"When we started, it was really hard to find recyclers who wanted to cooperate and put up with us; they're rare and it takes a lot of energy to find them and make sure they're for real. The work that BAN does with the e-Stewards program makes it easier for others to find the good guys," says Ifny.
"What have we learned? That secrecy and claims about 'trade secrets,' or even simple vagueness should set off warning bells -- not to mention that some recyclers just lie outright. You have to ask questions, dig deeper. Even re-use organisations can lie, saying they give the stuff to poor people or whatever, but everyone has to understand that no one is checking on them to see if it's true, or where they send their scrap. It should be mandatory for companies to provide names and bills of lading to a reputable third party, and to have real penalties for bad practices. It's harder for abuses to go on if we all try to watch out for each other, and share our resources."
Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron Release Party
Free Geek was proud to hold the Vancouver Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron release party. It is no secret now that computer recycling and free and open source hardware go hand in hand. Linux is one reason we can keep older hardware alive and working well. Hardy Heron is a great edition to the every growing story of Ubuntu. We see a steady stream of people fed up with Vista and wanting more control over their hardware.
Above - The Ubuntu community grows! Having fun at Free Geek, learning and laughing.
Gastown Holiday Hardware Drive A Success
A local company in Gastown was kind enough to put on a hardware drive for us recently. Strutta, a new startup on the block, offered to pick up unwanted computer equipment from its neighbours and donate it to Free Geek. Almost 2,000lbs of hardware later, they got a taste of the labour involved in computer recycling, while helping make the community a healthier place for the holidays.
We would like to thank all the participating companies who donated equipment to us. We hope to see more of your equipment in the future.
Special thanks goes out to Jordan Behan who organised the event! More of his photos HERE
Celebrating 1 year of Computer Re-Use and Recycling in Vancouver!
Today marks our first year in operation. It was a cold November 1st in 2006 when the first meeting was called and ten or so concerned citizens showed up to see what we could create together. Computer re-use and recycling found a new twist that night. Free Geek Vancouver was born!
From piling up computers in my bachelor apartment, to renting a storage facility and finally having a community technology centre, we have a lot to be proud of. And it is just the beginning.
Since moving into our new space in June, we have seen in nearly 15 tonnes of equipment come through our doors. We have distributed many computer systems to the community. Some recent recipients include the Salvation Army, Co-op Radio, SFU Public Interest Research Group, BC Digital Divide, the Portland Housing Society, and Canadians for Workplace Inclusion, just to name a few. The hardware grant applications keep coming in, and we are more than happy to provide!
Not ony have organisations benefited from our work, but we have seen numerous systems leave with volunteers that have taken part in our Computer Adoption Program.
Miro (left) taking home his computer after finishing 24 of volunteer time. Volunteers Ryan, David and Mark look on. Photo by Ifny.
We would like to thank all the business and individuals who have donated equipment to us. We hope to see you again; without you, we wouldn't have made it this far. Also a big thanks to all the volunteers who have made our communty centre a place to call home!
Free Geek wins Urban Sustainability Grant!
Free Geek was recently awarded a grant of $4000 by Mountain Equipment Co-op.
These Urban Sustainability Grants are designed to "support local environmental groups in each MEC store community." Geeks are green too!
We look forward to using this money to help defray our costs, so that we can keep getting free computers into the hands of Vancouverites.
Please don't leave your computer hardware in the alley!
Often, well intentioned folks leave out older monitors and computer hardware in the alley, in the hopes that someone will pick it up and find a new home for it.
Unfortunately a lot of these items are smashed and stripped for copper and other metals. While walking to a friend's house recently, I noticed a pile of smashed computers monitors and four TVs. All had been smashed for their copper yokes. [see picture]
Not only is this a waste, but it releases toxins into the environment. It can also hurt people who are probably not aware of the toxins inside CRT monitors and other equipment. Old computers may attract curious children.
Please don't leave your old hardware outside. Recycle your computer equipment responsibly by bringing it to a reputable re-use/recycling centre. We would love to find a new owner for your old hardware!
Jim Puckett of the Basel Action Network visits Free Geek
Jim Puckett, founder of the Basel Action Network (BAN) came by Free Geek while visiting Vancouver today. BAN and Free Geek share a close friendship. Together they work on various computer recycling issues that effect all of us.
Jim Puckett(left) speaks with a Free Geek volunteer about free and open source software. BAN is becoming increasingly interested in the benefits of Linux and similar systems.
Sarah Westervelt speaks at Vancouver at Free Geek Movie Night
E-waste guru Sarah Westervelt from the international watchdog Basel Action Network (BAN), was the guest speaker at our presentation of BAN's documentary films. Computer recycling has never been the same since BAN started their important work, and Sarah was happy to tell everyone why. More information on BAN films
The Creaking Planks played ethically recycled and reconstituted melodies. Favourites included the Tetris Suite for Lovers.
They also played Pomp & Circumstance for Free Geek's first graduate of the adoption program, Miro. He has earned his computer, and will be running the Czech version of Ubuntu (Linux).
A spirited discussion followed, with thoughtful comments, hard questions, and camraderie.
The event was sponsored by the Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC) and Free Geek.
Free Geek and Encorp Speak on The CBC
Ifny Lachance, a director of Free Geek, spoke with Malcom Harvey of Encorp on the CBC Early Edition Show. While Ifny agreed that the program is a positive development, she brought to the table some key concerns people in British Columbia have. To listen to the interview click here.
BAN responds to new BC E-waste plan
The Basel Action Network (B.A.N) has released an open letter to the editor, responding to an article recently published in the Richmond Review.
The article discusses the new provincial e-waste program that will come into effect Aug. 1st. B.A.N. asserts that their position was "misrepresented."
Sarah Westervelt, the author of the letter, will be coming to Vancouver on Aug. 2 to give a talk at SFU Harbour centre. [MORE INFO]
Below is the letter in its entirety:
Dear Editor,
Your July 14, 2007 article, Is new e-waste recycling program green enough? unfortunately misrepresented some of our thoughts and concerns about BCs new electronic waste program, while not properly explaining them. We are a Seattle-based global environmental group working to prevent the trade in toxic wastes to developing countries, and have become very active regarding e-waste recycling due to the massive amounts that are irresponsibly exported off-shore.
We applaud British Columbias efforts to collect and responsibly recycle electronic waste. This difficult waste stream is complex and full of toxins, and many countries simply export it to developing countries, where it is having horrific impacts on human health and the environment, in many cases. Our understanding of the BC program is that it will not allow these toxic materials to be exported, which we whole-heartedly support.
However, there are other ways to be irresponsible, and we are concerned that equipment collected by the program will not be made available for reuse, refurbishment, and re-purposing, and furthermore, the entire e-waste stream may possibly go straight to metal smelters. This latter practice is not supportable as it fails to maximize the longevity of used electronics, and also fails to reclaim the maximum amount of recyclable plastics. At the same time, highly toxic dioxins and furans can be created as a result of burning the plastics, not to mention the greenhouse gases exacerbating climate change.
Instead, as a first priority, unwanted electronics should be directed to the reuse market, and remarketed after diligent repair, testing and labeling. Then the remaining end-of-life equipment that cannot be repaired or reused should be manually or mechanically separated into the various recyclable fractions, instead of simply throwing whole equipment directly into a smelter. Smelters are absolutely necessary for the recovery of metals but it is not appropriate to throw plastics in the mix simply because one can, even when energy is recovered. The argument that the plastics help supply fuel for the smelter does not justify this practice given the very low heat value from this source combined with the emissions of toxic substances and green-house gases. Even though most toxic emissions are captured in modern facilities, there are always hazardous waste residues remaining when processing toxic materials.
Finally, British Columbia has chosen a financing mechanism, an advanced recycling fee, which will provide funding to properly manage the e-waste, but unfortunately will not place the responsibility primarily on electronic manufacturers for the impacts of the entire life cycle of their products, as is now practiced in Europe. Thus, the BC system will not provide manufacturers with an economic incentive to phase out toxins and design their products for easy recycling. The ultimate solution to this problematic waste stream is to redesign products with safer materials, and manufacturers are best positioned to accomplish this if they have to own their products when they become waste! We hope this clarifies our position regarding our concerns over the BC Electronic waste recycling legislation.
Sarah Westervelt
e-Waste Project Coordinator
Basel Action Network
122 S. Jackson St., Suite 320
Seattle, WA 98104
206 652-5555
www.ban.org
