Alameda County Computer Resource Center Gives New Life to Old Computers

It has been said that the computer industry reinvents itself every 18 months. In terms of technological advancement, each year sees a doubling of PC performance speed and storage capacity. Apart from the obvious benefits of these improvements, a darker side of progress is emerging in the form of literally millions of computers being retired every year. It is estimated that after the year 2000, more computers will be retired than are currently sold. If your company is looking for a place to donate old business computers, printers, and related electronics, there is a solution in sight.

As corporations continue to replace their computer systems, an immense number of outdated electronics are relegated to back rooms, closets, empty offices, and loading docks. Although these electronics are not the latest and greatest technology, they are generally working units that, given some elbow grease and computer know-how are capable of being renewed. For those units that are not upgradeable, they can be stripped of their components and precious metals can be recycled.

"Sounds great," you might say, "but who's going to take on this mammoth challenge?" Who is going to take the time to collect, truck, recover, upgrade, or salvage old computers, printers and other business electronics? This may be the business of the future, but it requires staffing, vehicles, facilities, and most importantly, a unique and computer-savvy resourcefulness unknown to most. If such an enterprise sounds too good to be true, let me assure you, it's not. At the Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC), such activities are the main "components" for a successful nonprofit that takes corporate and miscellaneous "junk" electronics and transforms them into another person's treasure. As a result of said activities, ACCRC is preventing the economically disadvantaged of today from becoming the technologically disadvantaged of tomorrow.

Besides protecting the environment by recycling electronic waste, ACCRC provides technical training to disadvantaged individuals. The organization also distributes 30 to 50 Pentium-level computers a week to nonprofit organizations, schools, libraries, economically disadvantaged individuals, and developing countries. ACCRC designs its rebuilt computers to match the needs of recipients, with little or no cost to the recipient. It also provides a year of free repair and maintenance for all units distributed. In 1998, the center placed over 1,000 computers, with an estimated 2,000 computers planned for distribution in 1999.

ACCRC accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, businesses and affiliated organizations. As well as any computer systems, working and non-working. "Everything is recycled, from mini-towers to mainframes, regardless of how obsolete or proprietary the technology might be," stated James Burgett, founder and executive director of ACCRC. Burgett began this operation five years ago in a spare bedroom in Marin County with virtually no money. He then moved to a warehouse in San Leandro; and in the spring of 1999, moved into the current location in Oakland. Housed in a classic red-brick warehouse at the corner of 57th and International Boulevard, ACCRC spans 30,000 square feet with multiple loading docks.

Upon entering the ACCRC facility, a visitor climbs a series of ladder-like metal steps to reach the main warehouse. At the top of the stairs is an easel indicating the sale price of computers and peripherals. Some of the items available include mice ($5.00), keyboards ($5–$10), and monitors ($30 and up)—and the list goes on. Revenue generated from the sale of rebuilt computers and salvaged components is the backbone of the ACCRC budget, amounting to $309,000 for 1999, a relative improvement over the $283,000 budget of 1998. "Profit from the retail operation isn't much compared with the overall cost to run this operation, but I've never missed a payday," said Burgett with a smile.

The sales office consists of two second-hand desks and an assortment of computers, printers and peripherals, along with three racks of software and manuals selling at half price. When asked if ACCRC was in need of additional office furniture, Burgett laughed and said, "Are you kidding? In order to get the computers, they generally say we have to take the furniture too. I've never bought any furniture for this place."

In the service and training area we find interns at workbenches, engrossed in efforts to modify existing computers. At the back of the warehouse, Burgett introduced us to the future "Macintosh room"; at the time, this amounted to several stacks of computers scattered about the floor, with volunteers busily setting up tables and lighting. Although the majority of computers are IBM-platform, Burgett does receive a number of Macintosh systems. "PCs are by far the more recyclable of the two...you can upgrade and modify the PC’s; when it comes to upgrading Macintosh, they're the worst," said Burgett.

"Computers are becoming obsolete sooner than in the past," continued Burgett, "namely due to the advent of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. This legislation enables corporations to depreciate their computer equipment in the second year, and then donate it to educational organizations or non-profit operations that are reconditioning the computers for schools, grades K–12. It used to be that new computers were bought and retired in three to five years; now it's more like one to two years." When it comes to old mainframes, obsolete and proprietary equipment, Burgett takes these units and resells them to specialty equipment dealers. Otherwise, businesses are faced with giving them away or junking them, and paying someone to haul them away as well.

As a safeguard for all donors, hard drives are reformatted to remove all software and files. The list of ACCRC donors reads like a Who’s Who of the professional and corporate world, including such names as Kaiser Permanente; Cellular One; Wells Fargo Bank; The Associated Press; VISA, USA; Cost Plus International; Marin Independent Journal; Levi Strausss, Inc.; The Bar Association of San Francisco; Princeton Review; California Medical Review; Panamax, Inc.; San Rafael Police Department; and Marin General Hospital. According to Burgett, "It’s a winning combination; electronic waste once heading for landfills now has a purpose, and it's doing folks good, helping train, educate, and eliminating the barriers that once existed between the haves and the have-nots."

While recounting the activities of ACCRC, Burgett paused to reflect on the other issues at stake in this ongoing reuse effort. Concerned about the increase in the number of computers manufactured, and the obsolescence that results from rapid technological advancement, Burgett believes that computer manufacturers are contributing to the difficulties that reuse organizations are facing as they attempt to rebuild systems and reuse assorted components. "We could always introduce take-back programs, they are doing that in Europe. But rather than a buy-back program, or even minimum upgradability standards, manufacturers need to provide parts so that the technology can be maintained utilizing the existing hardware. Most importantly, if manufacturers would simply utilize a standard case design, that would allow for future upgradability and reduce the volume of obsolete units. But that isn’t happening."

We continued our tour, and came upon the loading docks, here we observed computers, printers, and miscellaneous electronics sitting on the loading dock floor, shrinkwrapped on pallets. "We get a stack like this every Monday," Burgett said, "This is a typical load. We'll test these units, strip the components that can be used for other systems, and fill a 40-yard bin with scrap components every week." Secondary recyclers accept circuit boards, plastic, and steel. The steel cases go to a metal recycler, and the cables, made primarily of copper wire, are stripped of their insulation and sold to scrap dealers. Computers are also stripped of motherboards, mice, VGA and Ethernet Cards, keyboards, memory, and software.

The cathode ray tubes (CRTs) are the most problematic components however, because they contain lead, which protects the viewer from radiation. As long as the monitor remains intact, it isn't regarded as hazardous; but break the tube, or even remove it from its plastic housing, and you have a hazardous waste disposal problem. According to current regulations, the tubes must be shipped whole to avoid being classified as a hazardous material. This is a problem that ACCRC and other reuse and recycling operations have in transporting the material. Burgett explained, "It costs three to five times more to ship the whole CRT; if we could break them first, and then ship them in sealed steel drums, it would make everything easier." Since ACCRC can't afford to ship the CRTs it requires that the secondary recycler accept the intact tubes as a condition of their scrap materials agreement. The secondary recycler, in turn, ships the CRTs, at its cost to Noranda, a processor in Canada. ACCRC is working with the Materials for the Future Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the combined goals of waste prevention, reuse, recycling and economic development in order to find a better solution.

Burgett continues our tour, and leads us to his personal computer museum, featuring such artifacts as the Osborne 1, Apple 1, and Sol, to name a few. Under the tutelage of Burgett, students from the University of California, Riverside are also helping to reconstruct a Beowulf super computer from computer remnants; and high school students, eager to earn community service hours, come from Marin County to work along-side the interns. According to Burgett, "They would never have the opportunity to meet these types of folks if it wasn't for this program. This is an added benefit!" The internship training program serves three segments of the population, youth-in-trouble, welfare-to-work recipients, and women returning to the workforce. Members of these groups have the opportunity to participate in a four month training program, one day a week. With a staff of nine full time volunteers and seven to twelve part-time volunteers/interns, this creative nonprofit facility is provides a dynamic environment with a focus on the cutting edge of the reuse movement.

ACCRC is leading the way when it comes to providing non-profits throughout the world with technology. Computers are funneled to places such as Latvia, Cuba, Cambodia, and Africa. Among those benefiting from ACCRC are Cheeta, a nonprofit organization working with endangered species by providing safe breeding information in the field; Info Net, a medical symptomatology database and diagnosis service providing medical information to rural Cuban medical clinics; and the Cambodian Defenders Project, an international legal group attempting to free innocent detainees.

ACCRC has also provided computers to local Bay Area groups, such as the Marin AIDS Project, Project Inform, Marin County Office of Education, YWCA, Children’s Counseling Center, West Berkeley Senior Center, East Bay Conservation Corps, We the People, Oakland Police Department, Delancey Street Foundation, and the Arts Council of Napa Valley.

Currently, Burgett is in search of additional grant money and financial donations to facilitate the ACCRC reuse, training, and donations program. "The more grants we get, the more computers we can give away; it's that simple." Burgett added, "We recently received $50,000 from the Alameda County Waste Management Authority to assist in relocating to the Oakland facility."

If you are a business with a backroom or closet filled with outdated computers, you may want to contact the ACCRC. For large quantities, ACCRC can pick up your electronic surplus, remove it from those loading docks and back rooms, and turn it around into useable equipment for nonprofit organizations and those in need, while providing your business with a tax deduction in the process. It's a win-win situation!

The Alameda County Computer Resource Center
5725 International Blvd., Bldg. D, Oakland, CA 94621
(510) 434-1325 (or) e-mail mcrc@pacbell.net.

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Last updated: February 27, 2008