field-guide-to-salvaging-sound/src/content/chapters/0-gather.md

title	type	slug	front
Gathering hardware	Chapter	true	true

When salvaging parts, we are looking for abandoned hardware. Hardware that is still fine on the inside, but no longer deemed as functional by its previous owners¹ in our consumer culture. These devices can be a literal goldmine of working parts that could be repurposed, as their inner parts probably still function, it’s the stylistic obsolescence ² that is the problem.

Here, I would like to go much more into detail about obsolescence and the different ways it presents itself, so I can refer back to it at a later point. Using [@hertzZombieMediaCircuit2012] & [@parksFallingApartElectronics2007]

I’ve identified 3 strategies in gathering the electronic hardware.

1. Browsing the streets

I feel like with great waste “comes to you”. Keep your eyes open, look around. Actively going on waste walks has not been very fruitful for me. The success is dependent on where you live and the waste regulations and activities³. Information about waste management should⁴ be communicated via the municipality⁵.

2. Donations from friends & family

As you’ll enthusiastically keep your friends & family in the loop about your salvaging endeavours, you’ll notice the phenomenon of donations. A large portion of our replaced computing devices still reside in our storage units, waiting to be of any value [@gabrysDigitalRubbishNatural2011].

3. Institutional discards

Institutions where electronic hardware is not their day-to-day business usually do not have a systematic solution for their e-waste. Many have a system in place to replace their hardware (printers, computers, etc. ), every 5 years. The remainders are put in storage. This could be you!

Pick you battles

When inspecting a device for salvage possibilities, I try to imagine what the inside of the device looks like. What kind of components might I find? Are there any motors or moving parts? What kind of material is the device made off? What time period is it from? Which companies manufactured the device and it's parts? Do I see any use for it now? If I don’t expect much, I’ll leave it for the next person to salvage.

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1. The spectrum of "still fine" and "no longer deemed as functional" is very wide. Think about printers for which their specific cartridges are no longer produced, Blu-ray players, the E.T. game that was buried, that iPhone 8 with a bad battery, Spotify's "Car Thing", etc. ↩︎

2. stylistic obsolescence The idea that objects can go out of fashion the idea, and therefore needed to be replaced every season [@sterneOutTrashFuture2007] ↩︎

3. In Rotterdam, there are various Whatsapp & Facebook groups exchanging geo loctions for great trash. ↩︎

4. The municipality waste guide website & app of Rotterdam is not functioning and has not been updated since 2022. ↩︎

5. I would like to mention the hidden waste streams discussed in [@fennisOntologyElectronicWaste2022] ↩︎