|
General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
|
Thread Tools |
5th Jan 2019, 3:25 pm | #1 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Cullompton, Devon, UK.
Posts: 1,435
|
Recycling questions
Being in the trade for nearly 60 years, I have seen a lot of things which seem unbelievable, A few years ago I used to be able to go to the recycling centre and pick up Old Radios, Record players, and the odd TV, which I repaired and mostly gave away it gave me something of interest to do as well as saving items of Historic value, Then one day I was told I could only purchase items if I gave them copys of C&G qualifications to show I was competent. Copys were given until one day I was told that nothing electrical could be sold due to health and safety issues, I was told by one of the managers that he had been on a H&S course and he said that even touching a battery in a transistor radio could be fatal, never heard such tosh in my life. So now nothing is recycled just crushed. I am glad to say I do my little bit for the planet, I still get my Milk delivered in Recyclable glass bottles. IMO recycling is not crushing things and using energy to remake, recycling is repairing or using parts for further use, what do you think.
John |
5th Jan 2019, 3:44 pm | #2 |
Hexode
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 262
|
Re: Recycling questions
Our recycling centre used to be fairly relaxed: there were signs saying "No items can be removed..." but it wasn't particularly enforced - and having the electronics section as a pile on the ground made it quite easy for people to take things.
Sadly that changed a few months ago, when the re-organised various sections, and required you to throw electronics down into a large skip below. Every time I go I try not to look down at the perfectly usable stuff that's just about to be crushed (and looking down makes it awkward for me to throw something genuinely irreparable on top of something useful). In the US and Canada, there are quite a few places called 'Freegeek' that seemingly do a great job recycling more modern electronics with an emphasis on reusing computers. None in the UK that I know of... |
5th Jan 2019, 4:06 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Surrey, UK.
Posts: 4,394
|
Re: Recycling questions
It is a great shame, and I could almost weep sometimes on visits to "recycling" centres- but the typical policies taken by councils are understandable in a litigious age where everyone feels that they have to cover themselves against the actions of the very dumbest in society, rather than the capable and responsible majority of those who would seek out discarded electrical/electronic items.
At least forums like this offer a sort of useful below-the-radar re-homing for a small proportion of things- though surely it can't be long before there is a legal cradle-to-grave paper trail compliance requirement for everything of this nature. Even so, it's noticeable that there's little take-up for things like recent large-screen CRT TVs- quite likely because of the sheer handling difficulties as much as everything else. |
5th Jan 2019, 5:20 pm | #4 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 262
|
Re: Recycling questions
There was a post here from 2011 that suggested that some privately-run recycling centres had taken a different approach:
Quote:
|
|
5th Jan 2019, 5:26 pm | #5 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK.
Posts: 2,883
|
Re: Recycling questions
This topic has been discussed before on this forum, can’t remember who started it, you could do a search.
However I do remember someone saying the Michael Gove was looking to change the law, to allow recycling of used good, don’t quote me on this, perhaps other members can provide the link. Cheers John |
5th Jan 2019, 8:34 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
|
Re: Recycling questions
It crops up in threads in many of the forum sections. Same observations and same conclusions, but there is seemingly no simple one size fits all solution (yet).
|