Community Fund – Cilgwyn Community Group – August Update

Saving Computers and the Earths

Cilgwyn Community have teamed up with Nick of Ecopc who resurrects dead computers. This is important as they are made using ‘rare earths’. These special minerals have wonderful names and properties. They are vital to all sorts of things like solar pv, blackberry phones, ipods, jet bombers and Xrays. But availability of these materials is decreasing, not so much because there are no resources left, but because they are massively pollutive and require a lot of energy to extract. So China where a lot of these minerals are mined wants to wind down exports to reduce pollution.

Nick makes enduring computers which use a fraction of the usual energy. Now he is making one which is ‘solid state’, and having no moving parts could last a lifetime.

He also sells thousands of parts in his shop and on e-bay, so people dont have to chuck out but can repair their computer when it fails. But he warns, for laptops servicing is vital.

Our group have a service contract with him which saves us money, and promotes his work.