Breathing new life into older equipment and the importance
of recycling
At Innovative Audio, we take recycling seriously.
Please note that this article is a bit long and for
those of you with an attention span of a hummingbird here are a few quick
reference points
INTRODUCTION
We stepped into the
recycling arena simply out of demand of obsolete parts. We realized that
vintage audio components are being thrown away by the millions each year
and with them go any hope of re-usable parts. Imagine having the power
transformer of your Pioneer SX-1980 burn out or the front panel of your
Nakamichi Dragon gouged by the movers in transport, where are you going
to find replacement parts? Radio Shack?
In 2006 we registered
our company with the BC Government to be an active contributor for the
Electronic Recycling program. In addition, we also applied for and received
accreditation through the BC Recycling Hotline as an authorized electronic
recycling drop off depot. There is simply too much being thrown away and
we all need to realize that a vast majority of electronics can be diverted
from the landfill and in most cases, re-used for other uses. It will take
some time to reverse our way of thinking, as it seems that in today's
day and age this is a 'throw-away' society but through a group effort
we can make a difference. It is truly sad to consider that 60% of electronic
items are thrown away in PERFECT WORKING CONDITION and that the only reason
they are discarded is because they were replaced with something newer.
Our Delta profile
can be viewed here:
In addition, we are also on the Recycling Council of British
Columbia's website as a drop off center for electronics. This can be found
here:
Over the years we have saved approximately 40,000 pieces
of vintage audio from being lost forever. A large portion of these units
have ended up in our 'bone yard' to be used as parts. In other cases some
of these receivers, amplifiers, turntables and cassette decks have been
completely restored and sold through our store and shipped around the world
for others to enjoy for years to come. We have based our entire business
structure around vintage and used audio equipment and will go to great lengths
to insure that what our clients receive is only the very best. There are
many cases where WE BUY recycling simply because we need the parts. We have
partnered with companies across Canada and the United States in an ongoing
effort to stem the flow of really great gear being lost forever. We are
proud of the relationships we have made over the years with these companies
and hope to increase this awareness with many, many more.
Before dropping off
your old stereo gear at any 'depot', check us out first. There may be
money in them thar' boxes!
If past years are
any guide, many of us will be purchasing new DVD players, home theater
equipment, LCD or plasma televisions, ipods and hundreds of other electronic
do-dads that make up our everyday life.
What happens to the
old ones? That question gains increasing importance when you consider
the volume of electronics that we consume. It is estimated more than 3,150
tractor-trailer loads of computers, monitors, printers, TVs, stereos and
other equipment are now sent to urban landfills each year in British Columbia.
Electronic waste, or
E-Waste as it is known, poses new challenges to cities and municipalities
right across Canada. After lead-acid batteries, electronic waste is the
second biggest source of heavy metals in landfills. Each monitor and television
set contains approximately one to five kilograms of lead, and mercury is
used in plasma televisions and to backlight many stereos.
PLEASE USE CAUTION
WHEN CHOOSING A RECYCLING DEPOT!!!!
In Vancouver, and
in the Lower Mainland there are quite a few places that take electronics
for recycling. The problem is that there are a few companies that need
to be avoided. In general, these are companies that are simply in it for
the money and will take whatever short cuts they can to maximize profits
while turning a 'blind eye' to the downline of where these items go. In
addition, you should be wary of companies charging a 'drop off' fee. There
should be NO REASON why you should be paying more to help out with the
environment. You are already getting dinged with 'eco' fees when purchasing
these goods, why the extra charge? Also, question those companies claiming
to help charitable organizations. For the most part this is simply a 'product
grab' trying to convince you that they do charitable work when in fact
it is simply a ploy to "reassure" you so you feel better dropping off
your equipment to them. When looking around for reputable companies always
ask a few questions:
- Do they ship the
electronics overseas where in some countries this practice is illegal?
- Do they re-sell
items that were 'written' off by insurance or returned stock?
- Do they completely
grind down hard drives and other media containing personal information?
Already, real opportunities
to reuse end-of-life electronics exist. Programs such as Computers for Schools
are excellent examples of how many components can be refurbished and have
a second life. Ask the Depot if they allow items to be bought for re-use.
One VERY BIG company with many 'locations' throughout BC has a policy in
place that is simply too ridiculous to believe. Their policy?
'ANY ITEM DROPPED OFF AT THESE FACILITIES WILL BE THE
SOLE PROPERTY OF THE COMPANY AND WILL NOT BE RESOLD OR REUSED IN ANY FASHION
WHATSOEVER'
What this means is that
not even a knob, a switch or even a button can be given, bought or sold
as this company destroys everything. Employees are threatened with termination
if they even consider saving ANYTHING from the crusher. Nice huh? This was
brought to our attention several years back and again just recently when
a woman lost her laptop to this company. In June of 2009 a woman was moving
and had her sister helping her out. There were a small number of electronic
do-hicky's that she no longer needed and brought them down to the depot
in Richmond BC to drop off. Unfortunately, she did not see her sister put
her laptop on the dock with the other stuff and they left. Within the hour
she realized her mistake and went back to the depot. Needless to say they
absolutely REFUSED to give her back her laptop. Even though it would have
been a quick jaunt to retrieve it she was NOT ALLOWED to have it back. 'Company
policy' she was told. Not even the 'manager' would oblige. Even calling
the main office did her no good. The laptop was NEVER returned and she lost
years of work and information.
Companies such as ours
sponsor electronics recycling incentives and customers deliver unwanted
computers, stereos and other electronics to our facility for processing.
This service is free of charge! Over the years we have built strong relationships
with outlets such as thrift and used furniture stores where we have set
up a free pick up service to take all electronics that have been dropped
off, freeing up the volunteers and staff to spend more quality time on the
items that sell without needing to be repaired, patched or hooked up or
simply do not work at all. Let's face it, some of these places are used
as a dumping ground and we are proud to do our bit to help. All items picked
up or delivered to our facility are checked over, tested, and if they are
found to be in good working order they get put aside. The items that are
found not working are either tagged and stored in our warehouse or broken
down and many parts are sorted and re-used. Innovative Audio is one of the
very few companies that takes electronics and breaks them down to separate
metals, plastics and parts on-site, allowing for the proper disposal of
each and every aspect through a multitude of channels.
Parts, parts and
more parts!
Since the majority of our business revolves around the
concept of restoration, service and repairs of vintage audio, these
parts are extremely beneficial. Whenever possible, we try to use 100%
of these original parts for our repairs and restoration unless requested
otherwise. Many times we save the entire unit, as is, for others to
use as 'project pieces'. These are units that budding or amateur electronic
techs like to fool around with as a hobby. Again, they stay out of the
dump. Items that have been 'picked over like a Thanksgiving turkey'
are then re-sorted and sent to Government licensed depots. Again, to
be used for other projects.
We are always more than willing to help out with respect
to unwanted electronics. There is no such thing as an item not being
'recyclable'. Since older or 'vintage' electronics have literally zero
value (until new Government regulations to be introduced in 2010 then
they will be worth $200.00 a ton) they are normally sent right to the
incinerator or crusher. With some less reputable companies they are
sent overseas illegally to be processed, or they are often simply discarded
into landfills or dumped into the oceans. Due to the shear volume of
items being collected, it costs money for companies whether they are
here or across the oceans to process and sort. As a result, millions
of these great items are lost forever every week!
It will take some time to reverse our way of thinking, as
it seems that in today's day and age this is a 'throw-away' society but
through a group effort we can make a difference. It is truly sad to consider
that 60% of electronic items are thrown away in PERFECT WORKING CONDITION
and that the only reason they are discarded is because they were replaced
with something newer.
What
we take at our facility
For the most part, we take virtually anything electronic
and/or audio related. This includes the more common items such as:
Stereo Equipment, Personal Audio Equipment (walkmans, ipods, headphones,
recording devices, etc.), DVD Players, VCR's, Camcorders, Digital Cameras,
Musical Electronic Equipment (keyboards, amplifiers, etc), Commercial
Audio Equipment, DJ & Band Equipment, Speakers (any size), Telephone Equipment,
Gaming Systems & Games, Clock Radios, Electronic Test Equipment and Electronic
Signs. (Again, to get a really good idea of these items check out our
'What we buy' page!)
In addition, we also take records, audio magazines/manuals, tapes (8-tracks,
reels, and cassettes), tube equipment, table radios, laser discs and stereo
cables, CDs, DVDs, audio cassettes and VHS tapes.
WE DO NOT TAKE PHOTOCOPIERS, SMALL
APPLIANCES (including microwaves!) OR TVs.
  
We are a drop-off location for computer equipment as well,
i.e. monitors, peripherals, computer CPUs, scanners, printers, etc.
Although this list is overly-simplified, we take just
about anything electronically or tube based. If you are unsure, please
call us - we will be more than happy to help out. As always, there is
NO DROP-OFF OR RECYCLING FEES - EVER. We believe that you are already
being taxed enough with additional levies and duties so why should you
pay again for helping out?
We would prefer NOT to have items dropped off after store
hours or during the night, but when our store is open. To help you, our
drop off times are listed as follows:
Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sundays and ALL major holidays - CLOSED
Note - If you have a large amount of electronics or very
heavy items to drop off and these times simply do not work for you, please
call us to make arrangements. We will try to do what we can to help.
Feel free to contact us with any enquiries at recycle@iavscanada.com.
If possible, if the items you are dropping off are
in still good working condition, please let our staff know as we can then
allocate these items for our other programs.
WE DO NOT BUY SCRAP METAL OF ANY
KIND - EVER! PLEASE DO NOT ASK. ANY ITEMS 'SUSPICIOUS' IN NATURE WILL
BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE.
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