MEC Grant

The MEC Grant Rules

How to Apply

Please submit a letter of intent to the Sustainability Coordinator at your local MEC store. The application (maximum three pages) should include a description of the applicant, the project or initiative, and how the project meets MEC’s program goals. Letter of intent format

   * Maximum 3 pages
   * Title of project
   * Name of applicant
   * MEC program category
   * Name, email address, mailing address and phone number of contact person
   * Brief description of applicant
   * Details of the project including how it addresses MEC program goals or criteria
   * Request details: dollar amount or product donation

Basic project requirements The project must:

   * Be carried out in Canada by a not-for-profit organization (registered charitable status is not required)
   * NOT support or require any illegal activities
   * NOT be carried out by governmental or for-profit organizations

Our Proposal

Project Community facility to recycle used technology, educate, and reduce e-waste ending up in landfills.

Applicant Free Geek Community Technology Centre

MEC Program Category Urban Sustainability

CONTACT PERSON Name: David Repa Email: david.repa@freegeekvancouver.org Mailing Address: 4241 Balkan Street, Vancouver BC, V5V 3Z4 Phone Number: 604-690-7372

APPLICANT DESCRIPTION

The technology revolution benefits many, but it also creates two serious problems. First, computers manufactured today have a very short life cycle. Many computers are deemed obsolete within two years and discarded. For instance, each year, the Greater Vancouver Regional District buries 20,000 tons of computer and electronic waste(e-waste).[1] Traditional methods for the disposal of computer equipment release dangerous toxins such as lead, chromium and mercury into the environment. However, it is possible to safely recover over 99% of the materials in computer equipment, lessening the impact of this massive turnover on the environment.

A second problem stems from the rapid advance of computer technology: many people lack basic computer skills. As technology becomes ever more pervasive, those without computers find it increasingly difficult to access opportunities from employment to communication.

The concept behind Free Geek is to use these two problems to solve each other. With a little knowledge of computer mechanics, a significant portion of the electronic waste bound for landfills can be refurbished into working starter equipment for those who could not otherwise afford to buy these items. Individuals with little or no disposable income can be trained to help process the diverted computers for reuse or recycling, receiving one of the refurbished computers in exchange for their efforts. The result is: computer equipment is being reused rather than trashed and underemployed people gain both valuable job skills and access to the opportunities afforded by the technology. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved, as summed up in the Free Geek mission statement:

Free Geek recycles used technology to provide computers, education, job-skills training and access to the Internet to those in need, in exchange for community service.

[1] Electronic trash to be banned, William Boei, Vancouver Sun, Wednesday, September 27, 2006

PROJECT DETAILS

Our goal is to grow a sustainable community technology centre in Vancouver. We share MEC's concerns regarding waste and consumption. Ostensibly, we will provide a place for the public to donate unwanted hardware and earn used computers; there are a number of profound spin-off benefits to our local communities, our country's reputation, and our global footprints.

For example, our main recycling program keeps toxic e-waste out of regional landfills, while reducing the unnecessary consumption of new hardware. Unfortunately, most Canadian hardware currently ends up contaminating landfills, or getting shipped overseas, often to poorer countries with unsafe dismantling facilities and polluting disposal methods.[2] We intend to change that, not only by providing an ethical alternative, but also by fomenting a public/institutional demand for responsible disposal methods at all levels of the e-waste stream. In short, we hope to 'raise the bar.'

To achieve our goals we have six main objectives:

Computer Recycling

Computer donations are Free Geek's exclusive source for computer hardware, both for the equipment we provide to the community and for building our own infrastructure. By accepting all computer equipment, in any condition, we aim to present Free Geek as a convenient recycler for individuals, organisations, and small businesses. To date, we have already received fifty private donations, and four corporate donations. Besides donations, our recycling program will create two revenue streams. So far, we have observed that two-thirds of our customers need to dispose of monitors; Free Geek charges a $10 disposal fee for each donated monitor. This fee covers costs associated with the responsible environmental disposal of unusable monitors. Second, as part of the recycling process, non-repairable and obsolete equipment will be broken down into base materials, such as steel, aluminium, and copper. These commodities will be sold to our recycling partners. We aim to recycle as locally as possible, in conjunction with organisations maintaining 'best practices.' We will work with regional downstream vendors who share our principles of responsible environmental disposal, rewarding ethical behaviour while reducing the waste of resources involved in shipping e-waste great distances.

Computer Adoption

Free Geek's Adoption program allows individuals to exchange work in our recycling operation for a starter computer system of their own. During their time at Free Geek, volunteers will be exposed to computers on several different levels. Volunteers work in three basic areas, receiving, recycling and testing. In receiving, they learn to identify hardware and become familiar with the use of the mouse and keyboard by testing them. In recycling, volunteers learn how computer components fit together. Testing teaches volunteers how to insert and remove components from computers and how to run diagnostic software. After completing 24 hours of work, volunteers receive their computer and participate in an introductory class on computer use. Computer Building This program is Free Geek's most technically demanding. As the name suggests, the Build program creates all the computers needed for our other programs. Volunteers are taught how to build computers working exclusively with used parts. The tested hardware is assembled into standardized desktop computers that are then loaded with Free/Open Source operating systems and applications software. Each system passes a quality control test before it is released to an adopter. In exchange for the more detailed training necessary to begin this work, volunteers in the Build program agree to complete six computer systems. After completing six systems, volunteers are invited to keep the sixth computer for themselves. The remaining five computers are distributed into the community through our Adoption and Hardware Grants programs.

Computer Education

The education program's motto is: "If we give someone their first computer, we need to teach them how to use it." Introductory classes on computer use form the core of a curriculum that will be expanded to include computer building, Linux command line basics and advanced computer programming languages such as Perl and Python. Our classes are taught by experienced volunteers, many of whom have worked together to get Free Geek off the ground. The teachers will work together to organise classes and curriculum to support each of Free Geek's program areas. Education is ongoing for volunteers, from the moment they enter Free Geek's doors to long after they receive their computer systems and have them set up in their homes. We believe that everyone has something to learn and everyone has something to teach. Additionally, volunteering time, taking classes, and gaining hands-on experience with computers are all excellent resume building skills for those looking to increase their chances for employment. Computer Hardware Grants While our first priority is building and supporting the systems that we give to our volunteers through the Adoption program, extra systems and other hardware will be granted to other non-profits and social change organizations, not individuals. A non-profit may choose to sponsor an individual who is unable to participate in the Adoption program. We will be granting hardware to non-profit and social change organizations local to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Computer Thrift Store

We anticipate that, in time, Free Geek will receive more equipment than can be refurbished efficiently. In addition, equipment donated will not necessarily arrive in equal amounts (i.e. approximately 10 good keyboards are donated for every usable computer). This surplus equipment and other donations that have some retail value, but do not meet program requirements, will be sold through the Free Geek Computer Thrift Store. Monitors, printers, keyboards, cables, and speakers will be among the many items available in the store. By selling surplus equipment, Free Geek further works toward putting working, usable equipment back into circulation. The Free Geek store will also sell various products such as t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and items made from recycled computer parts. The thrift store is a vital part of the Free Geek financial strategy for self-sufficiency. [2]www.ban.org Basel Action Network

REQUEST DETAILS

If awarded an MEC grant, Free Geek would use the funds to obtain a facility with which to practise and develop our recycling model. Our projected budget for this year is $56,000. $12,000 of that budget represents the total lease cost for a facility from our open date to the end of this year. We are looking at opening to the general public May 1st, 2007.

Amount requested from MEC: $5,000