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FRP-REUSEiT - recycling and re-using ICT equipment

By Lasa Information Systems Team
Steve Nicholls and Michael Kushin

FRP-REUSEiT is a computer recycling/refurbishment programme and is part of Forest Recycling Project (FRP). Based in the London Borough of Waltham Forest it operates in and around East London in the main, but this area is expanding with demand. We visited their premises and spoke to Steve Nicholls, FRP-REUSEiT’s project manager and Michael Kushin the project officer.

FRP-REUSEiT began back in November 2004 when a guy walked into the FRP office in Bakers Avenue, Walthamstow with a non-working PC under his arm and asked if they recycle computers. Steve Nicholls, at that time a volunteer at the Project with experience of PC repairs and maintenance, grabbed the opportunity – and the PC! After half an hour of web research, diagnosing and fixing, the computer was back in a working state and FRP-REUSEiT was born.

FRP has a history of encouraging new innovative project ideas so Steve collected 18 computers in that first month and started working on them in the back of FRP’s warehouse. On January 7^th 2005, the first computer was recycled (appropriately enough) to the Waltham Forest Bike Recycling Scheme and during the first year FRP collected 120 computers, and reused and distributed 48 of them. Later in the year FRP-REUSEiT moved into its own premises, to the great relief of those at the Bakers Avenue warehouse, as the computers were fast using up the available space.

FRP-REUSEiT then entered into a refurbishment contract with London Borough of Hackney, including collection and secure hard drive erasure of their redundant computer stock. A successful Big Lottery grant application allowed for (amongst other things) recruiting a technical/admin person, and Michael Kushin, who had just finished a volunteer placement with FRP was appointed. Michael immediately began to transfer the record keeping system to an Access database which logged the status, build, and dispatch of each computer, integrated with the newly developed web ordering system. FRP is now able to supply rebuilt PC within 4 weeks of a customer request.

At the core of FRP-REUSEiT is a work experience and volunteering scheme. Many of the volunteers who come (to date they have had 41 in total) are looking to gain work experience, either by being on a government scheme or volunteering independently. At least 4 volunteers have gone on to find full time employment.

So how does the operation work? Donated machines are checked in, allocated a tag number, analysed (CPU speed, RAM, hard disk etc) and logged into the system. They are then cleaned up, any repairs necessary are done and finally new software is loaded. There’s a final quality assurance check and they then await collection from new owners who have registered their needs with the scheme. There has been a very low return rate with is testament to the stringent processes and testing the PCs undergo.

FRP-REUSEiT have a minimum collection specification of Pentium III, Celeron and AMD K6 Processors rated at 500 MHz and above - usually, if the PC is running Windows 2000, ME or above, it should be OK to donate. They will also take Apple Macs - PowerPC 7500 and above. There is a collection charging system in place which varies according to status and location. Data can be securely erased from hard drives (using Active@ Killdisk) for a small fee.

There is currently a problem with oversupply of CRT monitors as companies upgrade to TFT screens and FRP-REUSEiT will only take a CRT monitor if it accompanies a PC. It’s a sign of the times that they are now starting to get TFT monitors donated as companies upgrade to larger sizes as they become cheaper. They are looking at innovative ideas to get around the problem – anyone for a monitor fishtank, perhaps? Printers are also difficult to recycle. To enable REUSEiT to check the printer out they need to purchase the cartridges and because of the differing ink or toner cartridge requirements and the relatively high costs involved, economically it is not viable for the company.

Apart from refurbishing the computers, printers, scanners and all the assorted bits of hardware that come with a computer system, they have been trying to find alternative ways of reusing equipment that can’t be refurbished, for example, non working scanners and printers into plant/seed trays. Non-functioning computers are broken into their component parts, and the steel and aluminium is being sold to the locally to a metal merchant. Three arts groups have collected boxes (filled with broken mice, keyboards, CD drives, computer shells and various bits and pieces) for their various art projects, one of which is to feature in a Channel 4 production called ‘Dumped’. They also recently supplied old broken laptops to the Edinburgh Festival to use as props.

To date (August 2007) FRP-REUSEiT have received 922 computers booked in and have redistributed 385 of these to around 70 charities, community and voluntary organisations in the local community. These range from BME, arts, housing and environmental to faith and disabled groups. They currently have over 200 PCs on shelves waiting for customers.

FRP-REUSEiT is an official member of Microsoft’s MAR Scheme (Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher http://www.mar.partners.extranet.microsoft.com/EMEA.aspx), which enables them to buy legal licensed software (Windows 2000 and XP). Although Microsoft has (effectively) lowered the minimum collection specification by taking away the ability to install Windows 98 on lower specification PCs, they are currently looking into the possibility of installing the Linux (Open Source software) distribution Ubuntu on these machines. Machines are supplied with AVG anti-virus, SpyBot, AdAware and EasyOffice, a freeware office suite. The Start menu is also customised to include scandisk and disk defragmenter shortcuts to encourage users to carry out housekeeping, an idea which may be soon augmented with a document of good housekeeping tips.

FRP-REUSEiT suggests recipients of the machines make a small (£35) donation to help the project become self sufficient. A conservative estimate comparing with the cost of a new PC means that machines put back into circulation have saved the VCO community in excess of £125,000.

With Windows Vista now out, they anticipate getting more and more modern, usable PCs from the public. The WEEE directive (see the ICT Hub Knowledgebase article Disposing Of Old Computer Equipment) will also increase the amount of recyclable material for the project. In tandem, FRP-REUSEiT needs to make its existence known to more VCOs in the local area so that they are able to redistribute the increased numbers. They are also developing a maintenance service to clean up and troubleshoot PCs in association with the project, which will give ethical non-biased and practical support to VCOs they have provided computers for, at a reasonable price.

Steve and Michael have advice for potential donors to recycling schemes. Think about the environmental and legal considerations as part of your company’s social responsibility; ensure that your IT department (or the person responsible for IT in the organisation) is aware of the recycling opportunities; trawl around the office for those “spares” (e.g. RAM chips) which might be lurking forgotten in desk drawers; don’t remove memory or hard drives when donating; and ensure all personal and company data is removed from the disk.

See http://www.frponline.org.uk or contact FRP-REUSEiT on 020 8558 6664 or computers@frponline.org.uk

Case Study - St Mary Magdalene Centre

This Centre in Holloway, London, is a non profit organisation working with refugees and asylum seekers on issues of social inclusion and integration. FRP-REUSEiT supplied 12 PCs to equip a training suite which is essential to St Mary’s mission to deliver teaching of English and IT skills. In addition a number of PCs were supplied for staff use. FRP offered technical advice on how the Centre could achieve its goals, tailored PCs to their needs and delivered to their timetable. The organisation saved money on its budget and lowered its environmental impact by avoiding purchasing new equipment. The training suite is now being used for computer aided learning, allowing users to access websites for basic IT training and gives each user an email address so they can communicate with friends and relatives around the world.