|
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.
|
