Gastown Tech Businesses Team Up for Free Geek Hardware Drive

The heroic Jordan writes:

"The Gastown tech community is organizing a 'Free Geek' Hardware Drive. On Friday, Dec 7th, participating Gastown tech business will donate their old, unneeded hardware to Free Geek, a non-profit that 'helps the needy get nerdy.'

"There's still time to be added to the list of participating businesses, and have your donations picked up next Friday. To participate, send an email to: Jordan[at]strutta.com and you will be added to the pick-up route. Then just bring your hardware for donation on Friday the 7th, and the truck will make its rounds, stopping eventually at Vancouver’s Free Geek headquarters at 117 E. 2nd Ave.

"Clear your life of your unused hardware, and help a very worthy non-profit in the process! All donated items are sorted for usefulness and if necessary, either refurbished or recycled in their volunteer program. Useful refurbished items are donated to deserving volunteers and non-profit organizations."

MORE INFO & UPDATES ON THE STRUTTA BLOG
MORE INFO ON WHAT HARDWARE FREE GEEK ACCEPTS

Thanks for thinking of us!!!

 

Dan, from the Sunshine Coast, will be building as many robots out of old computer equipment as possible, in Free Geek's first Robothon. All are welcome to watch and learn about robotics as Dan works his magic! Watch CD-ROMs and old printers become robots!! For more about robitcs in Vancouver, click here.

This spring, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) knew where
to turn to get legacy hardware.

Pictured above is Griffen, a GVRD employee, showing off an oldschool
5.25 inch floppy disk, and Ryan, a Free Geek volunteer, holding the disk
drive Free Geek provided. Floppy disks hold between 180-1200 KB of data.

The GVRD has hundreds of archived floppy disks dating back to the 1960s,
containing data such as annual precipitation levels. Due to recent
concerns of flooding from the Fraser River, this data has developed new
importance. They wanted to retrieve this information and transfer it to
a different format. Unfortunately, just like most folks these days, they
lacked a computer with a 5.25 inch floppy drive.

While Free Geek does computer recycling, our top priority is computer
reuse. We had the necessary floppy drive on hand, and were tickled to be
able to help out.

 

 

 

Hardware can be dropped off during open hours at the back entrance of our depot. Free Geek is at 1820 PANDORA STREET, 3 blocks northeast of Commercial Drive and Hastings.

 

 

We take the following for FREE, working or not, in any condition. We welcome monetary donations to offset our costs and help our educational programs.

* Computers - working or non-working
* Laptops
* Printers
* Scanners
* Keyboards and Mice
* Fax Machines
* External Modems
* Motherboards and accessory cards
* Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)
* Computer cables
* Cell Phones
* Game Consoles, Cartridges and Accessories(Atari, Nintendo, Sega,  etc)

* CRT Monitors
* CPU/CRT combos (like iMacs)
* LCD Monitors

 

Please bring as little packaging and boxes as possible. Recycle boxes for your equipment through your curb-side recycling program. We do not accept Styrofoam.

* Photocopiers
* Telephones (We DO however accept IP phones)
* Flash Lights
* Electric Typewriters
* Stereo Equipment
* Styrofoam - (Can be taken to Masonville Plastics in Surrey)
* Televisions
* Microwave Ovens
* Copiers
* Smoke Detectors
* Appliances (including air conditioners)
* Cash Registers

We do not accept all software and manuals. Since we use Free and Open Source Software, we do not re-use proprietary software donated to us. Paper/cardboard packaging can be recycled in your mixed paper curb-side recycling bin. The portion that cannot be recycled through your curbside program can be brought to Free Geek, such as floppy diskettes, CDs and jewel cases. If you have manuals for specific pieces of equipment (i.e. motherboards) you are welcome to bring them with the equipment.

Recycling computers is labor intensive. Doing any of the following to prepare your Equipment for donation will help us speed the processing and recycling of your equipment!

1. Untangle all cords and cables. Coil them up with a rubber band or twist tie.
2. Attach power adapters (AC adaptors, transformers) to their associated equipment (such as powered speakers, printers or external modems) as best you can, we suggest wrapping with clear packing tape.

 

* Memory (DDR and RAMBUS)
* Pentium 3 and newer computers
* Laptops
* Hard drives (10 GB and larger)
* 100bT network hubs
* long runs of CAT5 network cable

* Cordless drill
* Phillips head screwdrivers
* Flat head screwdrivers
* Stardrivers (Torx)
* Nutdrivers
* Powerdrivers w/recharger
* Needlenose pliers
* Tin snips
* Boxcutters
* Quality dust masks

* Signal Generator
* Heat Sink Paste
* Variable Power Supply
* Permanent markers (thick and thin)
* Elastic bands
* First aid supplies (bandages)
* Toilet paper (recycled is best)
* Food (snacks, juice, fair trade coffee, chocolate yumyum, etc)
* Printer paper
* Dry-erase markers and ballpoint pens
* Tape - packing, scotch, duct, masking (1.5" or greater)
* Cleaning supplies (especially trash bags, sponges, ecofriendly cleaning product)

* Plastic Parts Bins