Now comes the hard part

In 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 in a row is exhausting.

And now and then one aspect ends up downright shocking.

My partner usually deals with the metal disposal aspect of this endeavour on my behalf - sometimes a male presence in a male-dominated world is a lot more effective. But I recently joined him on a trip to the scrapyard to take steel for recycling.

Perhaps I'm too soft-hearted - maybe I simply "humanize" the machines that cross my workbench each day. What I do know is that I treat those I dismantle with respect and a healthy dose of reverence. I don't break it if I don't have to - bar those stress-relieving screens of course... :-)

But the trip to the metal guys shook me. There it's all just scrap, discards, junk, things to throw on a pile of other things. The carefully packed goods we bring are dumped unceremoniously into a corner or out on the ground. I know it's destined for a smelter eventually, that it will be ground up and re-used for other items, but sometimes it's hard to see just how casually this beautifully crafted technology at end-of-life is treated.

I guess that's the emotionally-draining flip side of "doing good deeds" and saving it from a landfill.

Hands

I 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. Nails break. Your fingerprints end up permanently defined in black and grey on your fingertips - no matter how much you scrub. You're likly to have an assortment of plasters at various angles over hands and wrists. You have callouses and blisters and pinched bits - the skin may be dried out and rough, not as sensitive as it used to be.

But these hands are hard-working hands. They've done a lot. They know how to work carefully and delicately, or take a bit of force to something that needs it. They're not simply attachments to the end of my arms. They're useful parts of me. They fit into the cycle of electronic life and death I assist in - they resurrect or forever destroy.

Yup, may not be able to show them off nor want to attract attention to them with snazzy nailpolish (which will simply be eaten off at the next session). But I'm kinda pround of what they've done, what they're doing - what they still will do.

In the Still of the Night

Some 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 work.

And it's on the busy days that you might find yourself burning the midnight (and beyond) oil - trying to diminish the load of goods awaiting your attention before the next lot arrives.

Although getting to bed at 4 day after day can knock you for a six, I sometimes find those late night, early morning hours are my most productive. It's quiet - the rest of the world slumbers peacefully (oh how sometimes I'd love to join them!). There's no ringing phones or work-hour deadlines during which to contact people or be contacted. There's no need for coffee breaks or meal breaks - I can pace myself with the rhythm I work well at, budget my time and tasks and move smoothly from one to another.

If it's a really late one, I can tell the time by the passing train (2am - freight train inbound). I hear owls outside and the occasional startled guinea-fowl - all noises that get lost in the daily traffic and bustle of a working environment.

Yes, sometimes your movements become automatic - one screw after another, one panel after another, pile up like items and tackle them without really noticing what you're doing, keep eyes open (don't even blink or you'll fall asleep standing). But it's also the perfect time to think, to plan, to ponder: a bit of me-time under the late-burning lights.

Even if it sometimes exhausts me, I don't mind working late. It's a lot less of a chore than it seems, with benefits well worth the effort.

Respect

As 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 automatic machine soldering or sloppy robotic efforts in sight. Wires were cloth-clad or rubber-coated and labeled by hand. Each join, each connection, each component was carefully placed and secured. It may have hummed along for many years, but there was no accumulated dust and grime - filters and fans had done their thing.

A few days ago a reel-to-reel tape recorder occupied the same spot on my workbench. It's probably older than I am, both complicated and simple, with many, many screws and nuts and bolts. Each had a purpose, all moving parts worked smoothly together - all put together by hand.

Every day, cookie-cutter modern throw-aways end up in my care. It's easy to break and strip them without really noticing what you're doing.

But there are some items that deserve to be treated with respect. Appreciated, admired, perhaps set aside and rescued from the pile. At the very least recycled mindfully, not uncaringly. Components and systems that make you pause and look properly at them.

Yes, it's just metal and glass and plastic. It's unfeeling technology. But the people who made it, the minds who dreamed it into being, these created and crafted things of beauty. Items that did the job and did it well for many many years.

And that commands my respect, my admiration as I carefully deconstruct what they have made.

Organic

"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 words, Virgin Earth has grown organically in a very un-organic industry. Piles of metal, plastic and old technology don't really bring to mind green growing things! Though I do admit to finding traces of ex-life in a few components among the dust and cobwebs. There are a couple of bugs who died a very high-tech death.

And yet the whole focus of recycling all this stuff is really green - it's entire aim is to prevent human discards ending up clogging the landfills and environment with junk. In the process we as e-waste recyclers deal with very un-green products.

There is a huge need for our services. In recent months we've helped companies and schools, individuals and distributors find an ethical way to remove old machinery from their lives. It's usually replaced by new stuff - and the good thing with this is that newer technology is increasingly more environmentally-friendly. We're taking energy-hogging chunks of metal and plastic out of the equation, reducing the load on the system, and clearing the back rooms of junk.

And thus the focus of this blog is shifting as Virgin Earth continues to organically grow and fill the gaps between thrower-away and cleaner planet. It's time to shift gears and give you a look at life behind the scenes of an e-waste recycler.

What to expect? A sneak peek at what we do, how we do it, some thoughts on what's going on in the e-waste world, a bit of personal experience, and a post or two on news happening the planet over.

Watch this space.. you may just learn something!

Saving the Landfills

At 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 organization to take advantage of Virgin Earth's e-waste recycling has been MiX Telematics' Stellenbosch office. An agreement was signed earlier this year to process all e-waste generated on site in an earth-friendly and eco-sensitive manner. Recycling bins are provided and serviced regularly, with arrangements for bulk collection of e-waste available as needed.

Others have since joined the party by adding their discarded electronics to the cause. A monitor here, a broken mouse there, a length of cable or a few non-functioning CDs - it all adds up to a considerable volume that would have been left to disintegrate in a landfill!

What happens to the e-waste?

After site removal, it is examined to determine how it should be processed. It is broken down to the smallest possible volume. Computer components, for example, will have all screws and fixing points removed to seperate the parts. These are then sorted into various "ingredients" such as metals, plastic and glass. From there the e-waste is recycled as safely as possible.

Virgin Earth has committed to community involvement - and e-waste recycling forms a part of it. As this drive grows, it will see cash, skills and work opportunities poured back into the community.

For more information, download our E-Waste Brochure.

The Road Ahead

So 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 processing is starting to take off, and we'll be looking at expanding this service to other businesses that generate e-waste on a regular basis.

A Downloads section will be added to the website soon, with just-for-fun screensavers and wallpaper.

The Shop is under review with new products on offer available shortly. This section will also serve as a payment portal in the future for regular VE customers who subscribe to our services.

Look for a Stock Photos page within the next month, with both free and for-sale photographs available.

And finally, watch for news and reports on what Virgin Earth is doing locally.

Virgin Earth is just getting started!