Faulty Electronics and Ethical Practices

[cjdelphi]

10 to 20 years ago, people threw out their broken electronics as once it stopped working it was too pricey to fix it was worth the extra for a brand new...

now people want $$$ for their broken crap because they're under the assumption everyone can repair it and only they, can't...

if the people who can, refused to repair, what would people do with all this broken equipment?

 

[Alec_t]

what would people do with all this broken equipment?

Most people just send it to landfill.

 

[kellys_eye]

Indicative of the dumbing down of the population - people incapable of understanding how things work and the methods required/used to repair them.

The assumption is that since 'you'(?) request to take their dud stuff off them (maybe to strip for parts?) they think you can fix it and make a fortune at their expense. Well, sometimes you can!

Repairs will only ever be made if there is a return of expense after the repair UNLESS the repair is made for sentimental reasons.

For any other situation the item is junked.

 

[Martaine2005]

Our recycling centre has sections for electronic items. TVs, radios, VCRs, Hi Fi etc.
It all gets recycled. PCBs get stripped of copper from transformers and coils,. ICs, connectors etc for gold. And all the plastic for, well, plastic.
Lots of goodies can be found in that section.
I dumped a sofa and returned home with a Fender bass amp.

Martin

 

[Bluejets]

10 or 20 years ago...???
Try around the 1930's when some American bloke made it fashionable and good for the economy to have a throw away society.
Granted in the early '70's as an apprentice I was repairing things but by the 80's this was largely gone.
At that time about the only electrical item one could make good money on was larger electric motor rewinds.
This was mostly due to the few who knew how to do it.
10 years further on and this was almost out of the picture also as far as making a few bob.

There would have been around 10 tv repair shops in the place where I lived at the time with population of around 20,000, all gone by the late 80's.

 

[kellys_eye]

Well it's pathetic here (UK) as you can no longer take stuff FROM the recycling centre due to H&S rules....... if you're lucky and spot someone dumping something they want rid of you can ask them to 'dump' it in the rear of your own car but once it's in the recycle bin that's the end of it - they won't let you go 'dumpster diving' any more.

 

[Martaine2005]

they won't let you go 'dumpster diving' any more.

Here in Fulham and South west London, the recycling centres are section by section. Metal, wood, hard plastics etc. I have never been questioned dumping one item and redeeming another. Albeit, not often. I am not a tramp or dirty old soul. But sometimes a little gem sparkles and calls my name.

Martin

 

[ChosunOne]

Our recycling centre has sections for electronic items. TVs, radios, VCRs, Hi Fi etc.
It all gets recycled. PCBs get stripped of copper from transformers and coils,. ICs, connectors etc for gold. And all the plastic for, well, plastic.
Lots of goodies can be found in that section.
I dumped a sofa and returned home with a Fender bass amp.

Martin

Coincidentally, I just recently learned that most (all?) relay contacts are made of 30-50% silver. I'd always assumed those shiny points were nickel, and had never bothered to look it up. Those points are tiny, but there are so many relays on so many PBCs, and they add up--breaks my heart how many PCBs I've taken to e-scrap centers. Almost as much as the dozens of kilograms of plastic-encased class II transformers I took to a recycling center years ago when I was trying to purge my junk collection.

 

[Martaine2005]

Some contacts are gold too.
It’s not worth the average person collecting it as a mountain of PCBs would be required and stripped.
I used to save all copper pipe and brass plumbing fittings from jobs or refurbs as a Xmas bonus. 5 rubble sacks full was approx £300. And that didn’t take up any space behind the shed. I had one (and only one unfortunately) complete rebuild. I filled my trailer with all the copper pipe, brass and wire. Drove straight to a metal merchant and got £3098 cash. Sometimes it’s worth the effort.

Martin