A Junk Independence Day in Review – October 2025
A-Train sorts through boxes of circuit boards and presents one to the camera. (Luciano Cesta ) Every few months, the lab welcomes people from across the city and beyond to drop off their old electronics and snap up other items people brought. After, we take the remainder of the inevitable pile of old electronics to be recycled or otherwise disposed of safely. On this JID, the entire surface of the 20’x5’ table in the middle of the lab was covered many times over with circuit boards, laptops, TVs, monitors, mice, keyboards, tablets, phones and the like. The air was full of excitement and curiosity as guests and members combed over the veritable mountain of junk. One hacker’s trash is another hacker’s treasure as they say. Who? I don’t know but they were probably pretty smart. ;) “It gives people an outlet to repurpose and find new things to inspire new projects and ideas,” said Hacklab member Andrew Green. “And it’s great for the environment because we are able to repurpose, recycle or give away a lot of perfectly working electronics and tech.” Assessing the full scope of the problem with e-waste is difficult, but United Nations estimates that 62 million tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2022 alone which is 82% more than in 2010. Perfectly good equipment is thrown away, economically important materials are lost to the landfill, and the environment and human health are endangered by lead, mercury and other harmful substances. This time around, Andrew got his hands on a TI-Nspire graphic calculator that he later hacked to run his own applications. He also got a Pinephone that he installed Kali Linux on to use for security research. Member Scott Sullivan recalls a time when he acquired 5 CD stereo system that he used for six years and then took to another JID where someone else scored it. A-Train, another member, found some theatre props and an Arrow Squeezedriver, a neat little as-seen-on-TV item that drives a screwdriver bit with a squeeze of the hand. Take a look at the video below if you want to see a hilarious infomercial: Member Loial scored two old 3D printers that he wants to either get working or use to build a new 3D printer. He agrees that the event is great for the environment but says that “it is a social event as much as it’s an ecologically responsible one.” That seemed to be the sentiment that a lot of members and guests had. People were socializing, exchanging ideas, laughs and stories about what they brought into the event. As usual, the event was buzzing with activity. An equal number of people were socializing and scouring the tables. A box of tablets and computer speakers ready to be taken for recycling. (Luciano Cesta) Junk Independence Day is a way that Hacklab engages with the local community. Everyone is welcome and the door is wide open during the event. Many people have electronics that sit around for years in drawers and garages never being used. There are also many people who could use those items. The event has connected those people for at least the past 13 years.