from www.retroworks.com/publications.htm
American Retroworks Inc. of Middlebury, Vermont is a consulting, research and operations company focusing on today's computer and television recycling issues. We own and operate our very own processing plant, Good Point Recycling, which employs 6 and services corporate and residential recycling programs across the region. We use what we learn in our "hands on" recycling operation to produce thoughtful and constructive solutions to the e-waste debate. We are completely independent. We pay taxes. We are self-sufficient, not requiring any government or institutional or corporate funding.
If it makes sense to us (e.g. supplying tested working monitors to bolster the middle class in developing countries) then we will announce it, try it, document it, and report our success or failure. On this page you will find presentations and publications which show our evolving philosophy on reuse, mineral use, foreign dumping, exports and environmental and ethical issues.
The Evolution of Good Point Recycling in Vermont
Over 85% of Americans surveyed would prefer to pay $5 to recycle an old computer than to throw it away for free. At American Retroworks Inc., our mission is to reinforce and support our gut instinct against planned (or "enforced") obsolescence, and create practical, hands-on programs which allow us to sffordably reuse and recycle for what we are willing to pay. And we have done so without accepting the small grants which require silence of the soul.
Our program in Vermont has expanded to provide permanent electronics collections statewide. We set up programs promising to do as much environmental stewardship as we can do for what people are willing to pay. Some states allow "free recycling" programs to dump toxic garbage on poor countries, and other states create such expensive regulatory mazes as to price themselves out of reach of participants. In Vermont and surrounding states, we have accomplished universal recycling access, without expensive shipping, without legislation, and without new taxes on sales. Vermont is second in the nation in per-capita electronics recycling. Folks pay what they would pay to get rid of a mattress, a fridge, a stove, or a couch. We get 80% of the recycling done at 20% of the cost.
This problem is temporary because it is not sustainable. According to the US Geological Survey, the world will simply run out of accessible copper, nickel, and many other electronics feedstocks in the next 100 years (ocean bed mining is projected to make up some of the shortfall). It is a matter of time before we have to do what we should be doing every day.