Thrift Store

American Retroworks Inc

REPAIR AND REUSE

American Retroworks Inc. has implemented the first "full-circle" take back programs, involving Charitable Thrift Shops in New England. Under these programs, private thrift or repair shops accept used electronics from consumers (for a fee of $10), sell what they can locally, and prepare the remainder for pickup from a reputable recycler (including our own Good Point Recycling) for $5 apiece. Some recyclers, including Good Point Recycling, can even return/back-haul refurbished TVs and computers to the Thrift Stores, which provide an affordable, quality product to the community, helping to close the Digital Divide.

But even if the Digital Divide is wide in the USA, not every 14 inch monitor has a home here. Just as the established charities use the export market for surplus shoes and clothing, we do export carefully screened, working monitors, TVs and computers. For example, some non-profits are tackling the global digital divide. World Computer Exchange is an organization which takes working computer to close the digital divide across the globe. We can handle the exports, or help connect Digitial Divide organizations with traditional charities capable of taking computer donations.

Reuse diverts about 30% of all of the electronics we handle. We include partnerships with private repair and reuse facilities, many of whom specialize in a particular device but cannot handle mixed electronics in bulk. The www.electronicycle.com database now lists over 1000 hard-to-find parts at a fraction of the list price. Good Point Recycilng has also designed on-line parts trading programs with www.tradeloop.com, www.recycle.net, www.ebay.com, and several foreign repair exchanges.

We do not export junk. Too many USA companies avoid CRT recycling costs by sending bad monitors and TVs along with the good, as so much "Toxics Along for the Ride".

American Retroworks Inc. provides other take-back and exchange programs, for shoes, clothing, sewing machines, typewriters, and other items.

John Vicenzi Jr. wraps monitors for resale in Egypt.