Responsible recycling and reuse of electronic devices. Items are
disassembled entirely; all materials separated and sorted for proper
recycling. Reusable parts are salvaged with minimal waste. Everybody wins!
WHERE: EMAIL:
Gabriola Island
HOW:
Free pickup! Drop-off by appointment only
— I do NOT accept appliances larger than a microwave oven, or CRT televisions / monitors —
Here's a list of all the electronic devices I accept and/or have recycled so far:
- adding machine
- answering machine
- battery charger
- bread maker
- calculator
- camera flash
- cassette tape player
- cell phone
- clock (electric/spring)
- computer keyboard
- computer mouse
- cordless phone
- desktop computer
- digital camera
- digital scale
- digital shop tools
- dot-matrix printer
- DVD player
- dye-sub printer
- fax machine
- flatbed scanner
- game controller
- hair dryer
- hand mixer
- hard drives
- headphones
- ink jet printer
- laptop computer
- laser printer
- LCD monitor
- LED monitor
- microwave oven
- pocket pager
- paper shredder
- photo copier
- radio (am/fm/sw)
- security system
- smoke detector
- solar garden lights
- speakers
- stereo tuner
- telephone
- toys
- VCR player
- wireless router
I gratefully accept anything with gears, tooth wheels, cogs, gauges, knobs, buttons, toggle switches, levers, etc., to fuel my Steampunk obsession—also because I need parts to fix the time machine.
I've always had a fascination with taking things apart—if it whirs and buzzes and lights up and does amazing things it's a puzzle to disassemble and reassemble—discovering how things work and figuring out why they sometimes don't work when I'm done tinkerering with them! Electronics has been a 'fringe interest' for a long time; something I've dabbled with but never really had a compelling reason to learn completely. For the past 25 years the virtual-reality of computers captivated most of my time and creativity, and is also how I earn a living.
When I discovered the world of Arduino micro-controllers, things shifted a bit. This was a reason to learn more about electronics, and all those years working with computers and developing programming skills was an added bonus. It quickly became apparent how much 'treasure' there was in electronic devices, and most of the old stuff I've collected over the years has become even more valuable in parts bins, ready for future projects.
The more I take things apart, the more I realize how much waste there is in our coveted gadgets. Like the glossy display boxes on the store shelves, much of what makes up our devices is just packaging as well. As a lifelong tech-consumer, and self-employed computer technician who encourages the use (and upgrading) of technology, I have a shared sense of responsibility for the e-Waste piling up on our planet.
All the photographs and statistics on this website may seem somewhat obsessive, but part of why I do this is to remind myself that all those gadgets we enjoy today can mostly be returned to the base materials they started from... if we make the effort to do so. In the pursuit of responsible recycling, by disassembling our gadgets before tossing them away, many parts can be used for other really cool things after their intended purpose has expired.
I certainly don't expect everyone to share my keen interest in tinkering, or to spend the time taking things apart, which is why I'll be happy to do it for you! —Paul Rudyk