[Durham] Announcing RE-PUTE.IT, a social enterprise for green laptop re-use

[David Walland]

Dear Mark,

As you know, I love fiddling with laptops, have a considerable experience
in getting inside them and a fair range of elderly ram, tools etc.  I'd
love to be involved.

However, most big companies already have arrangements in place to ensure
that the WEEE Regs are complied with and this means that all their surplus
computer etc hardware is fully recycled in compliance with the regulations
and that this recycling is fully and correctly documented.  There are
specialist companies which provide this service.  For the supply to take
off, you'll have to be able to compete with these recycling companies in
full documentation of compliance with the Regs including demonstrating how
end of life disposal will be controlled.  Sorry mate but I think you'll
struggle.

Most business equipment has traditionally been fitted with
bottom-of-the-range CPU chips.  The machine I'm currently typing on has had
its Celeron swapped out for a Pentium 4 (it's *that* old) but this slow
chip was typical of business equipment of its day (I did the swap out - I
wanted an obviously valueless laptop as my workbook, which can be left
around in public places without risk of being nicked).  Some CPU upgrades
are easy, cheap and make an astonishing difference, others neither easy nor
cheap (but still make a lot of difference when implemented).  Also, many
laptops can be fitted with appreciably more memory than the official max.
The biggest, I've so far found is a machine which takes 4 x the official,
published maximum memory possible.  This makes even older machines very
much fleeter of foot and can be very cheap to implement.

I'll happily try to attend to assist in the effort.

Regards

David Walland



On 14 July 2015 at 19:46, Jonathan Gowar <jon at whiteheat.org.uk> wrote:

> On 2015-07-14 17:57, mark wrote:
>
>> - Do you know any businesses who are likely to be getting rid of a batch
>> of laptops? If so, please let me know.
>>
>
> Afraid not, but will ask around.
>
>  - Would you be able to spare a few hours on the first Saturday of the
>> month to help with the 'club'?
>>
>
> Yes, certainly.
>
>  - Do you work with windows/apple systems and want to be a "mutual
>> referrer"?
>>
>
> I do not work with these systems.
>
>  - Would you be interested in some occasional paid work if it really
>> takes off? I can't give any guarantee that this will happen but
>> obviously if it does, you trusty collaborators will get the first call,
>> so let me know if you're up for that.
>>
>
> Yes, paid or otherwise, depends on the work.
>
>  - I'm open to suggestions in general (you folks have already been really
>> helpful and if you have any more hints and pointers, let me know)
>>
>
> I had exactly the same idea 10 years ago, so have always liked this idea.
>
> My only concern would be the possible lack of demand.
>
> Regards,
> Jonathan
>
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