tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29463476258679418072023-06-20T06:26:23.326-07:00Virgin Earthe-waste recyclersMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-15188774151234673132009-09-23T13:07:00.000-07:002009-09-23T13:41:16.850-07:00End of the LineThere are a couple of problems every e-waste recycler faces. Where to source recyleable materials? How to process things safely? What happens to the bits? Every recycler passes on the bits to specialists - whether it's paper, circuit boards, glass... unless they have the specialized mechanisms in place to turn waste into a new product themselves.When you're at the end of a product's lifecycleMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-83226110546929072202008-12-17T03:23:00.000-08:002008-12-17T03:38:36.573-08:00Make 'n BreakOne can only sit breaking stuff for so long before the brain starts to kick in - "what can I re-use this for, what can I make from this?"Lately I've been inspired. I've been looking at the e-waste I process with new eyes and coming up with all sorts of things to do with it. Granted, there's a lot of junk. But there are some items or parts of items that make me do a double take and say "hang onMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-52083331473892206942008-11-18T02:48:00.000-08:002008-11-18T03:00:27.406-08:00Moral DilemmasI sat down and watched this this morning. It documents where the tin that ends up on computer boards comes from - and lists the cost in human life.Now it's really easy for me to distance myself from the miners in the Congo and say "not my problem". Their labours yield something that travels far to get to initial manufacturer, further to get to the folk that put things together, and further to Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-80199847412589341182008-11-06T07:19:00.000-08:002008-11-06T07:28:34.878-08:00CircleEverything needs a market. Even recycling. You'd think that once you dump something in a recycling container it magically transforms into a clean, green, back-to-nature product... or melts away.Unfortunately it's not like that.Recycling other people's waste is a dirty, dusty, sticky, somewhat dangerous affair. Each element separated out is passed on to a processor or someone else who further Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-35879588815569771322008-10-30T05:20:00.000-07:002008-10-30T05:55:55.329-07:00Now comes the hard partIn the world of processing e-waste, there are some parts that are easier than others.Joyfully taking out your frustrations on the glass of a broken monitor to reduce it to dust could be construed as an easy job. Provided you wear protective clothing and duck should shards head your way.Taking apart a beautiful old machine or expensive server is heartbreaking.Working through 30 identical screens Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-73172984288370429032008-10-12T13:41:00.001-07:002008-10-12T13:52:07.010-07:00HandsI was sitting looking at my hands a few days ago.I used to have beautiful hands - soft, long-fingered, perfectly manicured nails, though they occasionally got dirty in gardening and engines.Now my hands are well-used. Processing e-waste isn't a clean job. You end up filthy, blackened by soot and grime and dust. Sharp metal, plastic, glass can cut into skin. Tools slip - and leave their mark.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-46981262959575533932008-10-10T12:13:00.000-07:002008-10-10T12:29:32.665-07:00In the Still of the NightSome days e-waste processing slows to a trickle and the workspace stands clear of equipment. Other days you simply can't keep up, and end up tripping over piles of stuff while more flows in the door! There are complicated things that take ages to dismantle instead of the simple "everything the same" items. Bolts and screws that refuse to budge, things you can't seem to decipher as to how they Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-90109300736730581262008-09-30T04:09:00.001-07:002008-09-30T04:28:43.864-07:00RespectAs an e-waste recycler, many interesting things come through the front door - especially old technology. Piles and piles of old technology.... mostly of the cheap and cheerful variety.But now and then there's an absolute gem.Recently an old IBM ended up on my workbench. It was sturdy and practical - and when I opened it up I had no choice but to say "wow". It was beautifully hand-crafted, no Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-78914392512097944932008-09-26T05:14:00.000-07:002008-09-26T05:33:04.887-07:00Organic"Organic" and "E-Waste" aren't usually two labels you'll find in one sentence, but there's always a first time!Although Virgin Earth has been my "label" for many years, it's been a sorta hold-all for many things. That is, until a year ago. Until our main focus became e-waste recycling. This blog has been dormant for a while, and for good reason. Virgin Earth has been very very busy.In a few Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-18227399553104022432008-04-29T13:16:00.000-07:002008-05-15T13:35:08.208-07:00Saving the LandfillsAt the end of 2007, Virgin Earth took a good hard look at local businesses and saw a need for an e-waste recycling service. It's something that is still new in South Africa, although there are a number of companies getting involved. Regulation is still being developed, but Virgin Earth is attempting to keep practices in line with WEEE directives, as already enforced by European law.The first Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-85048126707156901582008-04-07T00:05:00.000-07:002008-04-07T02:31:12.331-07:00The Road AheadSo what's in store for Virgin Earth - what's down the line?The beauty of Virgin Earth is that it's not set in stone. While still operating sans website, it's been able to adapt fluidly to take advantage of a number of opportunities and fill gaps as they arose. That's not going to stop now that VE has a URL!As a business, there are a number of avenues VE will be venturing down. E-Waste Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2946347625867941807.post-34496345949654342402008-04-06T08:07:00.001-07:002008-04-06T08:09:16.625-07:00Virgin Earth goes live!After just over two years of the domain being parked, Virgin Earth went live today! The domain has simply been biding its time until the site was defined and all those ideas rattling around had been brought into one place.It's still a work in progress. It will still grow and develop, quite possibly into avenues I have yet to imagine. But it's live, and I'm grinning!Welcome to Virgin Earth. Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09669869159446275381noreply@blogger.com0