Earth Day Electronics Recycling Event April 22, 2010
Vancouver, British Columbia V5K 1Z5
Laughing Bean Coffee is proud to host its 3rd annual computer recycling day on April 22, 2010
Bring in your old computer related equipment between 6am and 3pm and get any 12oz specialty coffee, tea or hot chocolate in return. You can also bring in your own reusable coffee mug and we’ll fill it with your choice of our fresh brewed coffee. Finally, if you purchase one of our Laughing Bean travel mugs, we'll fill it with the hot drink of your choice!
“We've hosted this event on Earth Day for the last two years and we've collected about nine tons electronics!" said Wayne Bertrand of the Laughing Bean. “Our coffee shop is a gathering point for the community and we thought it was a convenient way for people to get rid of their old electronics, plus you get a free coffee for their efforts!! ” he added.
This year the Laughing Bean has teamed up with local Vancouver computer re-use company, The Hackery. The Hackery repairs, recycles, and sells laptops, computers and flat screen monitors (a.k.a. LCDs). If your laptop or LCD hasn't been performing well, or not at all, they can help!
The Laughing Bean will accept most things computer related such as computers, laptops, printers, etc but we cannot accept things such as house appliances and photocopiers. For a complete list of what can and cannot be accepted go to http://thehackery.ca/ewaste
There will also be a book swap with the David Suzuki Foundation. Bring in your old book and see if there is something you can trade them for.
The Laughing Bean, with delicious coffee and premium tea, as well as fresh baked goods, is urging you to come in for your coffee and support a worthy cause. Look for the mannequins on the corner of Hastings and Slocan near the PNE.
For more information, email us at [email protected]
Laughing Bean Coffee, 2695 East Hastings St., Vancouver, BC, V5K 1Z5, 604-251-5282
Official Website: http://thehackery.ca/ewaste
Added by The Hackery on April 19, 2010
Comments
Canvouver
Hi gassyandy,
The Laughing Bean is kind enough to provide a drop-off venue for Earth Day, along with free coffee. They don't process, recycle or fix the equipment received -- that's done by qualified Hackery personnel and approved downstream vendors.
You are right, computer equipment contains bits of gold. However, it's not exactly lucrative. it's very time consuming to dismantle computers by hand to get these bits out, and they're still mixed with other materials so it's not pure. It's also expensive to recycle equipment ethically -- keeping processing local with good environmental standards and worker protections. In reality the people typically making big buck$ are exporters -- they smuggle/ship huge volumes of electronic junk to poor countries. There, the toxic materials in ewaste can be dumped in landfills or aquifers (after the valuable bits are pulled out by people lacking proper safety equipment).
The Hackery doesn't export. If you're doing responsible recycling like they are, the main reward is doing The Right Thing.
gassyandy
What a great idea, Not many people know that the older computers contain a significant amount of gold as well, and at todays prices this would make a lot of sense and profit for those who recycle. So I am sure The Laughing Bean is laughing all the way to the bank......