Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Information and help in the IT field of computers, internet, ISP's, mobile and fixed line telephones plus satellite TV systems.
User avatar
gerryh
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 8046
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:17 pm
Location: Cajiz, Malaga

Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby gerryh » Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:09 pm

Anywhere in the Velez Malaga municipal area that I can dispose of some old/ defunct computer equipment?
Rather not just dump it in the local basura.
Cheers
Gerry
Gerry Harris

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16052
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby El Cid » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:18 pm

Why not? It will be taken and recycled by the “totters” within minutes at no cost to the council. Just destroy the hard disks first.

Sid

markwilding
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7775
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:02 am
Location: Bilbao Spain

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby markwilding » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:30 pm

By totters, do you mean gypsies? They are also always at the entrance of my local dump so I never actually have to dump stuff in the containers. I’m quite happy for them to take my old electrical stuff. Just another form of recycling.

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16052
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby El Cid » Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:45 pm

I’m not sure who they are, but it’s an English word describing people who pick up and reuse/recycle unwanted dumped goods.

Sid

User avatar
Enrique
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 9484
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:47 am
Location: Mytchett/Alcala La Real

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby Enrique » Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:53 pm

Hi,

Rag and bone man
Totter is British slang for a rag and bone man..........common site in my part of London after WW2..........using horse drawn cart.

When in Spain I take my redundant computer equipment to the local "internet cafe" where Pedro either uses it or gets it take to specialist recyclers .
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

markwilding
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7775
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:02 am
Location: Bilbao Spain

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby markwilding » Thu Nov 26, 2020 1:48 am

Interesting, I have never really thought of these guys as rag and bone men but that's what they are. Occasionally, some go round in a van and speaker in the same way as the old rag n' bone men used to.

I have no real recollection of the the horse and cart rag and bone men except from that old really funny sitcom 'Steptoe and son'

User avatar
gerryh
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 8046
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:17 pm
Location: Cajiz, Malaga

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby gerryh » Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:01 am

Where I grew up in South Wales, the rag and bone man with his horse and cart, would sometimes give you a goldfish in exchange for some rags/ scrap.
Cheers
Gerry
Gerry Harris

User avatar
costakid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5752
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:55 am
Location: malaga este

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby costakid » Thu Nov 26, 2020 10:38 am

Any old rag and bone?

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5872
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby Wicksey » Thu Nov 26, 2020 12:50 pm

markwilding wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 1:48 am I have no real recollection of the the horse and cart rag and bone men except from that old really funny sitcom 'Steptoe and son'
You're making me feel that old Mark :lol: I remember them coming around with the horse and cart in London where I lived, ringing a handbell and shouting something unintelligible. That was the only thing that came by horse though ..... I'm not that old!

Here there seems to be a local Moroccan-type of man that will take anything he can recycle when we take stuff to our punto limpio. If he's not around then we live it on the ground by the bins if we have anything we think can be reused.

User avatar
spanish_lad
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6218
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby spanish_lad » Sun Nov 29, 2020 8:47 am

There are loads of "pikeys".."gypsies".. "scrappers".. call them what you will .. if you leave something by the bins it´ll be gone in a couple of hours - someone will pick it up, even if they dont understand what it is.

Some want to rip it apart for the metal, others will take it and sell it for as much as they can at the local car boot sale, either way it´ll be gone.

As far as i know, its "local law" that if something is IN the bin its rubbish. If its something that might be useful to someone, then you leave it at the side.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16052
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby El Cid » Sun Nov 29, 2020 9:34 am

Another "rule" I have heard, for an electrical item, if the plug has been cut off, it doesn't work. If it's left on it does work.

Sid

Manchesteral
Resident
Posts: 1965
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 11:48 pm

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby Manchesteral » Sun Nov 29, 2020 11:14 am

Interesting topic this, when I was a lad these people were known variously as, Rag tatters, totters and in some cases pots for rags due to the fact that when you gave them some old clothes they would tot up what the rags were worth and give you a kitchen item usually a pot mixing bowl or similar hence the term pots for rags, woolen garments were the best to trade with as they were the most valuable items for recycling, apart from non ferrous metals !
Two days ago I left some old routers etc by the bin outside my home on my way to the shop to get milk, on my way back after no more than 10 minutes they were gone, one mans rubbish is another man's treasure !

markwilding
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7775
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:02 am
Location: Bilbao Spain

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby markwilding » Sun Nov 29, 2020 7:35 pm

I remember my dad being good at knowing what stuff was valuable and loved those auctions where here used to buy and sell all manner of what I always thought was junk.
During a visit to my place in London, he left me really embarrassed when he dived into a skip in my street and fished out some brass bedsteads which he later sold for almost 300 hundred pounds

User avatar
spanish_lad
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6218
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022

Re: Disposing of old/ defunct computer equipment

Postby spanish_lad » Mon Nov 30, 2020 8:37 am

El Cid wrote: Sun Nov 29, 2020 9:34 am Another "rule" I have heard, for an electrical item, if the plug has been cut off, it doesn't work. If it's left on it does work.

Sid
ahh yes, also this.
markwilding wrote: Sun Nov 29, 2020 7:35 pm I remember my dad being good at knowing what stuff was valuable and loved those auctions where here used to buy and sell all manner of what I always thought was junk.
During a visit to my place in London, he left me really embarrassed when he dived into a skip in my street and fished out some brass bedsteads which he later sold for almost 300 hundred pounds
any of the "main" metals are pretty worthless. steel is 4c a kilo.. you need a truck load of it. (my dads neibours have a "reciclajes olmedo" big yellow skip outside their house. they collect enough scrap that they collect it from them by lorry rather than the neibours having to drive down there!!!)

Aluminum can be about €2 / kilo, where as copper and brass is more €4-6 / kilo.. so a tv with a 1kg lump in it.. might seem like nothing to some, but if you have a box with 20 of them in to take to the chatarra, you can buy your weeks shopping with that.

Older taps are a good source of brass, as are older door handles etc.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests