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Local charity shop rejects pre-spychip PCs. Then they get destroyed. (lemmy.sdf.org)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/zerowaste@slrpnk.net
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/58764195

I was in the non-profit shop of a local charity. They accept donations of used computers then resell them to the public. The profit goes to charity. I asked for their oldest machine. It had an AMD chip from the 16h family. Thus, a spychip.

So their oldest machine was still too new for me. I asked why don’t you have anything older? They said the general public would not accept anything older, and so the shop also does not accept anything older. When machines are rejected, they go to a factory that destroys them and recovers the raw metals.

It’s sad to see that pre-spychip machines are being destroyed and that even 2nd-hand customers are being limited to anti-consumer spychip hardware.

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[–] 7 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I'm involved in a charity that also ends up with a good amount of computer donations. Unfortunately, we have to be ruthless with what we accept. We have to pay to dispose of ewaste.

In practice, laptops with a dual core processor or higher can be put to use or given a new home. Anything older is useless. We still need to sort through and thin out the numbers at that level however.

Unless you're willing to store the computers for them, until a unicorn comes in asking for one, it's likely a practicality issue. While it's far from perfect, it's required to keep shops like that functioning at all.

A better option might be to go to a retro gaming shop/cafe. They are more likely to stock old hardware to play older games natively. It's mostly consoles, but some also have PCs.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I’m involved in a charity that also ends up with a good amount of computer donations. Unfortunately, we have to be ruthless with what we accept. We have to pay to dispose of ewaste.

    Charities paying for the e-waste is not universal. Depends on your local waste management. But nonetheless, when a machine is disposed of /someone/ must pay for it one way or another. It’s cheaper to actually use it.

    In practice, laptops with a dual core processor or higher can be put to use or given a new home.

    The pre-spychip AMDs have anywhere between 2 and 8 cores just before the last segment of 15h chips were made.

    Unless you’re willing to store the computers for them, until a unicorn comes in asking for one, it’s likely a practicality issue.

    It’s a marketing problem. Consumers don’t know to demand pre-spychip machines because they are wholly clueless about it. A charity shop can manufacture demand just by being transparent in their sales info.

    A better option might be to go to a retro gaming shop/cafe. They are more likely to stock old hardware to play older games natively. It’s mostly consoles, but some also have PCs.

    That’s a good idea. Either way, it requires an intervention in the status quo. In my region, the public is blocked from getting access to rejected hardware, which goes straight to the (apparently secret) disposal site.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Charities paying for the e-waste is not universal. Depends on your local waste management. But nonetheless, when a machine is disposed of /someone/ must pay for it one way or another. It’s cheaper to actually use it.

    Your forgetting storage costs. The value of older computers often doesn't compare well with storage costs, particularly given the amount of time they sit there for. That's what does us in. We only have so much space, and dozens of computers can eat that quickly. It's similar with old monitors.

    The pre-spychip AMDs have anywhere between 2 and 8 cores just before the last segment of 15h chips were made.

    I wasn't sure where the cutoff was, in practice.

    It’s a marketing problem. Consumers don’t know to demand pre-spychip machines because they are wholly clueless about it. A charity shop can manufacture demand just by being transparent in their sales info.

    In practice, most can't. They don't have the reach to change people's views on the scale needed. They would also need to deal with people who didn't understand what they were buying. Older computers often need a bit of finessing to get the most out of. Sticking windoze 11 on them, and giving them out to OAPs or single mums is asking for very frustrated complaints.

    That’s a good idea. Either way, it requires an intervention in the status quo. In my region, the public is blocked from getting access to rejected hardware, which goes straight to the (apparently secret) disposal site.

    If you think it's viable, make a small business out of it. Tell the charity shops you will take the old laptops off their hands to repurpose them. Extra qudos to you, if you can mix and match to make, and donate a few "supercharged" computers that would be of use to their customers. Unfortunately I suspect the number of customers is too small however, and you would run into the same issues they do.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

    Your forgetting storage costs.

    I can probably fit 100 old (thick) laptops in my closet. I doubt it’s a noteworthy cost for a shop to store ~6—12 laptops, which is comparable to the size of a single laser printer.

    It’s similar with old monitors.

    Ditch the CRTs but hold on to the LCDs. They will sell better once the market is saturated with this garbage.

    In practice, most can’t. They don’t have the reach to change people’s views on the scale needed.

    Hardware not traversing their shop is not in their scope. They can do something on the scale of their shop’s operation. It’s not their job to fix the world on a global scale. I’m fine with that. Doing their part is all anyone can expect.

    They would also need to deal with people who didn’t understand what they were buying. Older computers often need a bit of finessing to get the most out of. Sticking windoze 11 on them, and giving them out to OAPs or single mums is asking for very frustrated complaints.

    That’s a problem for sure. The charity shops tried -and failed- to sell linux machines. They went back to Windows. But that’s not the end of the story. The charity shops have connections with repair cafes and linux clubs, who are picking up the slack.

    If you think it’s viable, make a small business out of it.

    I’m not interested in profit. I might do a non-profit action. But it’s certainly a fight so far to just get the gov to reveal where the destruction factory is. Will need a substantial effort to get a position in the supply chain.

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