Discussion: I have an idea how can we recycle old tec?

[jamesandthewolf]

I want to talk about a potential idea to recycle old tec to help stop contributing to global warming its been ticking over in my head. Can we turn old machines into arcade devices and use the profits from this to buy up more and expand. I can not do this alone and need help as its a very big proejct.

[gregjor]

Years ago I volunteered with Free Geek in Portland (https://www.freegeek.org/shop). They collect old technology, refurbish what they can, recycle what they can't. Working computers are given to or sold cheap to people who need a PC. They also have classes and other activities.

That's a small-scale example of recycling hardware that would otherwise go in the trash. I imagine programs like Free Geek exist in other cities.

Lots of companies and organizations offer free computer hardware recycling: Apple, Dell, Goodwill, BestBuy. I don't know how much recycling they actually do.

You're describing something more ambitious and labor-intensive. It costs more (in terms of labor and logistics) to recycle old or broken hardware than it does to replace it with new hardware. Breaking hardware down into reusable components or metal scrap is both labor and technology intensive (and so happens in developing-world countries).

Given the huge variation in hardware, peripherals, drivers, etc. I don't think you can just set up some kind of automated process to transform random hardware, possibly broken, into a working arcade machine (or a working anything). Besides the logistics and labor issues, a lot of modern hardware is designed and manufactured to prevent removing parts without destroying them, or replacing parts. Do you have the equipment to replace soldered components on modern circuit boards, and the people to run that equipment?

[jamesandthewolf]

I actually think I have it worked out how to recycle older games and legally sell them, it would be to collectors to start, this would be the base to start moving into recycling.

I don't mind if others try or take this idea but it would work, you can't legally sell the ROMs. You can sell second hand copies of old games you own. I believe you are allowed the ROMs legally only if you own the game so you bundle it up ROMs and physical copy of old game.

How can you ensure that the user won't share the ROM with others.... That part Ive worked out as well. I just can't do everything on my own it's to much with all my other projects as well.

[jamesandthewolf]

Come on man I'm alone at the moment I struggle to brush my teeth in the morning let alone solder mother boards. However I've been investigating further, televisions and cd players seam to be quite easily acquired, maybe its more about approaching it from an angle that just gets some traction, the technology of a parts based system kind of exists but would need streaming like Netflix's and just supply the Hardwear to achieve this with parts that could be replaced.

Gaming consoles would be just proof of concept, and it would start to not recycle old computers but repurpose them with emulators to play old games at first. The expand from here. Big wheels turn slowly

[gregjor]

I suspect that the number of arcade machines the world might need would require only a small fraction of the discarded hardware available. Much of the discarded hardware will require labor-intensive repair work, offsetting any profits, and then there's the maintenance of those recycled machines to consider. You might have noticed that arcades have disappeared now that people can game with consoles and PCs at home.

[jamesandthewolf]

Yes and my thinking is to leverage this recycling old tec to reassign it one household one machine that only requires part replacement not full replacement and these parts are made from recycled hardware. Discarded Cellphones, computer, gaming consoles, all tec repurposed. Stopping waste a more effective renewable solution little to no waste

[gregjor]

Good luck with that. I think you’ll find out why no one is doing this. Recycling costs more than building new.

[jamesandthewolf]

Maybe it costs more but I'm not sure in the long run it will, if it can be brought down to just upgrading parts of a system it will be cheaper to maintain. Also governments are starting to look for the green alternative so it could in fact offset costs. It's a big idea I don't even know where or how to start but I know that on the current state of things it would take hold.

[gregjor]

Logistics. Collecting, storing, and distributing — all labor-intensive and expensive at scale — will turn into the biggest costs. Unless recycling happens at scale it doesn’t make a big enough difference.

[smoldesu]

I'm going to humor you, and give you the "Elon Musk" solution here. Take it, leave it or run with it, I couldn't care less.

- Start small, establish yourself on a site like Etsy and sell directly to the consumer. You cannot scale this up until you prove that it's possible to turn dead electronics into consoles quickly, efficiently, and cheaply.

- Focus on a single hardware architecture. x86 would be the easiest, as it gives you a super-solid base for running Linux and all of it's trappings, as well as a huge range of computers to pick from (2005-present day).

- Automate your software solution early. Make sure that your entire install process takes minimal interaction, this will be crucial for your scaling. Write a bash script to automate the installation of Linux and all of your emulation software.

If you can figure that out, you might have a cute home business and a fun alternative revenue source. Saving the planet though? Every little bit counts, but you're hardly saving the Earth by turning trash into slightly more fun trash. You'd hardly even be competing against other manufacturers, and they'd simply continue to pump out consoles faster than you can transform computers. If you want sustainability, go for the high-end market and drive insane margins with fancy wooden cabs. If you want to make a difference, you're going to need to optimize your manufacturing process to an impossible level of efficiency. I say this as someone who has home-made several arcade cabs at this point: I simply don't see a project like this making an impact. But it's your time, so feel free to chase it.

[gregjor]

Yeah use wood cabinets and then ship the arcades around by plane and truck. That will move the needle on climate change.

[jamesandthewolf]

I also need to learn a lot but I am willing to give this a real go as I beleive it can work I just need a good serious group to get into this.