After I wrote my post E-Waste & Recycling Part 2, I received an email from Free Geek, a local e-recycling company here in Portland. It was ironic because that same day I had just read the Sustainability insert in the Oregonian about Free Geek on how responsible e-recyclers they are.
Here is a portion of the email I received:
Computers
“The organization is Free Geek (freegeek.org). We’re a non-profit community technology reuse and recycling center located at 1731 SE 10th Ave in Portland. Free Geek deals specifically with old computers in an ethical and responsible way. We take donations of old computers and do our best to refurbish them and then get them into the hands of both individuals and other non-profit and community organizations that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them. What we can’t reuse is recycled in a responsible way.
You referenced the 60 Minutes piece on e-waste in your posting and the Basal Action Network (ban.org) was involved in the 60 Minutes story. Free Geek should have our certification from the Basal Action Network within a matter of months.
What does that mean? All the material entrusted to us is either reused or disposed of in an ethical, responsible manner which does not involve shipping waste overseas. Part of the certification process also involves ensuring that the vendors we work with also do not improperly dispose of this waste.
Just thought I’d pass this along. Please feel free to check us out or contact me with any questions. Our website again is www.freegeek.org.”
I’m really glad FREE GEEK isn’t shipping their e-waste to China.
They are open Tuesday – Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition, Free Geek offers free tours of their facilities so you can see first-hand what and how they run their business from 12 noon – 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Check out the Free Geek website as there is an e-recycling day scheduled for December 6, 2008 at EcoHouse.
Betty Jung
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