[vcf-midatlantic] HSC going out of business

[Martin Flynn]

On 12/2/2018 9:16 PM, m simons wrote:
> On Friday, November 30, 2018, 4:14:20 PM EST, Laura S. Reinhard via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >Like the goodwill idea. Or maybe a new nonprofit that serves such a purpose? Perhaps some >people in this group could get the ball rolling (and hand off).
>>> If we could talk goodwill into opening a science store here and there with
>>> all the strange stuff they send to Dell for recycling...
> Isn't VCF and all the other groups at InfoAge mostly nonprofit groups that get all sorts of weird electronics and stuff, some of which that are surplus to find new homes for?
>
> Part of the problem is, of course, that 1) You need enough space, and resources (human and otherwise) to make such a thing feasible and 2) Some of what you would be getting in is essentially potentially hazardous waste / ewaste that has some potential liability, and will cost some $$ to dispose of properly if you can't find it new homes.
>
> Now, just so it's clear, I'm responding to this rather seriously.  I certainly think something like this is possible, and would even take on a related project myself, but it would require a lot of support.
>
> (For the record, I've previously been a manager of a nonprofit materials exchange, and I recently joined the board of a recycling nonprofit organization in PA. It's certainly in our wheelhouse to do this, but we need space, people, and funding.)

Unless someone can be at the site 7 days a week to pre-screen what's 
accepted, I'm going to state this is an unequivocally bad idea. Many of 
the municipalities in New Jersey require a resident to purchase a 
sticker (which is placed on the to be discarded item) before they will 
pick  up / cart off e-waste.    I could see the IA becoming free 
disposal site for folks looking to avoid paying to get rid of stuff.

CDL/IXR has spent the last month sorting through questionable 
electronics and taking the unwanted material to the Wall Recycling 
center in personal vehicles.  No more!