Friday, April 13, 2007

False Economy

I found a charitable organisation that reuses and recycles computers and peripherals, and told them I'd take my two old computers and my old scanner to them. I finally got round to it today after my mammogram.

There were roadworks on the route which led to massive tailbacks on a major road close to the centre of town. That meant I couldn't even see the street I was supposed to turn right into (for my US readers, that means a street on the OTHER side of the road) let alone find a space to turn into it.

When I eventually found the street, I had to drive up and down it 3 times to find the actual premises, which was poorly signed, and what sign there was had been obscured by a van. The whole trip, from home to screening unit to recycling place was only about 8 miles, but the last bit (about 4-5 miles) had taken over an hour. So what I saved in the world's consumable resources, I wasted in petrol and exhaust fumes.

I felt in need of some retail therapy after that, so I drove to the shopping centre at Bromley. I limited my purchases to 4 skirts, 2 t-shirts, 7 books, 3 rings, 1 pair of earrings and 2 toe rings. I now need to grow some extra fingers and toes to accommodate them all.

At a market stall outside that sells semi-precious stones and fossils, I bought a bison toe-bone and a necklace made from woolly mammoth ivory. Wasn't sure about that one. Hope it turns out to be plastic...

4 comments:

  1. "Retail therapy"....I LOVE IT!!! :D Sorry about the traffic jam trying to get to the place. Hey, at least you tried, right?

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  2. I need to find somewhere my neck of the woods too to dispose of my old computer...

    shame about the traffic, it's been dreadful everywhere. Rachel just called with being stuck and major probs on the North Circular... don't we just love this country and it's roads.


    hope the shopping made up for it.

    lotsa luv ann xxxx

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  3. PS - Our computer recycling places charge a fee, do yours? It's modest and of course I don't mind paying it, I was just curious if this is an across-the-board practice.

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  4. In california a tax is now added to the purchase price of a new computer for recycling. A tax for everything now, I suppose its a good idea...

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