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Business & Tech

Mac Recycle Clinic Pushes for Greener Environment

Local non-profit is reducing computer waste, reusing parts and recycling older Apple machines.

According to the EPA, between 2005 and 2010, more than 250 million computers became useless, with less than 10 percent of them being recycled. In fact, more than 85 percent of the computers “thrown away” wind up in landfills.

At the same time, many individuals and families lack the financial resources to have a home computer. One local company has found a way to address both problems at once - Silver Spring’s MAC Recycle Clinic.

With the onset of the Apple II computer in the late 1980’s, computer clubs began springing up around the country, including Apple Pi, which held meetings in Rockville.

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David Ottalini, who was originally a part of that Rockville group, now works here in Silver Spring, as a founding member of the MAC Recycle Clinic.

“While we started out as a group that would help people with hardware issues – dead batteries and noisy hard drives,” said Ottalini. “What we found was that people didn’t know what to do with older machines, and they began to donate them, you know Apple IIs, Apple IIEs and those sorts of things, ” he said.

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Ottalini and other volunteers at the non-profi started refurbishing the machines, then began reaching out to other non-profits in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and D.C. – groups that could put the “recycled” systems to good use. Sometimes, the group would simply strip parts, and make one good machine out of three outdated ones, while others they realized had to be thrown away. Ottalini estimates that for every ten computers that are donated, MAC is able to refurbish and recycle seven or eight on average, and extend their life.

“We never wanted to throw anything away, and at the start, it was a challenge,” Ottalini continued. “Once the Transfer Station at Shady Grove opened, it made things much easier, since they would recycle the parts they could.”

Over the years, the group estimates that it has donated hundreds of computers to organizations, groups, families and individuals in need – including Riderwood, The Wheelchair Society, Project Re-boot and one student at High School, who was virtually homeless, and was struggling to keep up with his studies until some teachers intervened, and contacted MAC for help. MAC was able to provide the student with a refurbished laptop computer.

MAC holds “recycle clinics” each Monday evening in the Marvin United Methodist Church, located at the intersection of Colesville Road and University Boulevard in Silver Spring. Marvin memorial has been their home since Fall 2010. In addition to the weekly clinics, Ottalini and his team are creating a computer lab in the Church’s basement for students at Blair who do not have access at home.

“They can come in for a few hours after school, and do homework or other projects, as well as access the internet,” said Ottalini. “We want to make sure these students have a safe and secure environment to accomplish their goals."

Plans for the lab may include access for parishioners and other local citizens who are unable to access computers at home or at one of the local libraries. MAC hopes to open the lab in time for use by students attending summer school at Blair.

The MAC Recycle Clinic is open from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. each Monday, at the Marvin United Methodist Church, located at 33 University Blvd East.

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