Businesses can be sadly wasteful with their assets, especially when there's a change in policy or ownership. One former employee benefited from their company's carelessness during a recent shakeup.
What's happening?
The post, which appeared in r/3Dprinting, was titled, "Hard to believe my old company was just throwing these out because they were 'broken.'" It featured a photo of three 3D printers with nothing visibly wrong with them.
In the comments, the original poster explained the situation.
"Company was going out of business so I think they just didn't want to deal with it and didn't know what it was," they said, adding: "The entire R&D engineering team was let go as the company started going out of business. Managers that were left didn't know what they were and assumed they were broken. All the 3D printing stuff ended up on the floor in the closet until I saved them from being left behind as trash."
They confirmed that the units work as intended.
"I took the Ultimakerr and the CR6 in the back," they said. "Both have been working great. I think the Ender got tossed."
In another comment, they elaborated, writing, "I've been using both for about two months already; never once ran into any sort of issue."
Why is it important if working devices are thrown away?
Any time a working object is thrown away instead of being salvaged, it's a lost opportunity for someone to save money by getting something valuable for cheap. The more secondhand items are thrown away instead of being reclaimed, the more money and resources are wasted on new items to replace them.
Like all electronics, 3D printers are a form of e-waste. E-waste is a problem because it's difficult to recycle and full of chemicals and components that can pollute the environment. However, those working parts are also valuable and worth reclaiming.
What can companies do to avoid this type of waste?
When a company is being liquidated, one typical course of action is to auction off assets instead of just throwing them away. That would mean a little more cash for the owner and give interested parties a chance to claim these 3D printers and other equipment.
Another option is to donate them instead of throwing them out; they could go to a thrift store or to an organization that can use them. Many local libraries are beginning to offer 3D printing as a service, which means these devices could have benefited the whole community.
What's being done about e-waste more broadly?
While it's rare to be in the position of throwing out a 3D printer, you should start looking into options for when you're done with other electronics. Some recycling facilities are set up for e-waste and some aren't, so you can call nearby locations and check. Some stores also collect or buy back old electronics.
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