The yearender post

It is THAT time of the year.  Any news site/portal you visit has lists of year’s top 10 best/worst/beautiful/ugly/ordinary/special/amazing/boring/people/places/animals/aliens/predators… well you get the idea, don’t you.

How do we make a list of best things that happened to us this year? Because for some things to be counted as ‘best’, some other have to be counted as ‘good’ or ‘better’ or even ‘not-so-good’ or downright ‘bad’.  I won’t say that nothing went bad for us this year. Even the world’s highest roller-coaster has to go down to reach the record-making highs. A major corporate house promised us a donation and then backed out after we had collected huge requests. If that ain’t bad, I don’t know what is. But then it is not time to count our failures, or so I feel.  Ofcourse some of you will say that year-end is the time when we take stock of our achievements and how can that stock be correct if all the losses were ignored.

But then each time there is a donation offer it gives a high that drowns out any disappointments. And thanks to our kind donors, we have had so many offers this year. Atleast now when any one asks me ‘kaisa chal raha hai tumhara DYPC’ I have a 3 digit number to flaunt as our successful donations. If that’s not a high, trust me, I don’t know what is.

This year we started a new trend of giving certificates to our donors. ‘Friend Of The Earth’ certificate is a very small attempt to thank our donors. This apart from mentions on Facebook and Twitter, which you might say and even I agree ‘is not a big deal’ but then it is ‘cool’ to give the credit where it is due!

This year we had our biggest corporate donation, which came from British Airways.  We got mention in DNA Bangalore edition and CHIP magazine. Thank you very much guys. We need lots of donations and words of mouth (and print!) to expand and to succeed.

Last but not the least, we changed our identity after quite some time. And thankfully everyone liked it.

There are many thoughts, dreams that we are going to carry over to next year. Hopefully in 2013 we will see some new dreams and won’t have to carry over the ones from coming year!

Have a very good new year. Cheers.

When recycling is not good enough!

I have often wondered how India’s tech savvy lot gets all worked up when the latest iPhone (or iPad) or Android model gets a delayed launch in the country. We remind these companies of our growing superpower status and booming economy and importance of Indian market and demand a status of equality.

Have we ever asked these companies about their recycling policy in India? Almost all the computer and electronics companies have ‘take-back’ programs in US and Europe where the customers can hand over their old product of the brand for recycling. But what about India? Apple doesn’t have a take-back policy for India whereas they started for US in April 2006. Samsung started it in March 2011 but surprisingly have kept it under wraps. Only Nokia has a good take-back program and they encouraged people to actually use it.

But even if all the e-waste gets recycled how good it would do to all of us? Take a look at the latest edition of  ‘Guide to Greener Electronics’ published by Greenpeace.  As the page says: “This guide ranks the 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change”.  On a score of 0-10, 0 indicates worst and 10 indicates best.

Out of 18 companies, 10 score less than 5! Nintendo takes the dubious honor of scoring least with a pathetic score of 1.8. Don’t think that this makes any impact on the minds of those buying a Wii. Not very far from last spot is Microsoft with a measly 2 and though Apple joins them in below 5 club, Cupertino’s score is more than double of Redmond’s, a 4.9.

Other members of under 5 club: Toshiba, LG, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Acer, Sharp and Dell.

And now a fact which would have been funny, if it was not tragic. Out of the remaining 8 companies, 6 lie between 5 and 6! These ‘super 6′ are Philips, HP, Samsung, Motorola, Panasonic and Sony Electronics.

At no. 2 is Sony Ericsson with a score of 6.8. The guide says “It is the best performer on the toxic chemicals criteria of all the ranked brands, being the first to score full marks on all chemicals criteria”.  And at no. 1 is Nokia. They may not be at the top of mobile phones anymore but atleast they are on top of this ranking with a score of 7.5. But the guide says that Nokia ‘does least well on e-waste issues.’ So may be they need to do a bit more.

So let’s come back to original question. With devices full of harmful toxins, how good it would be even if these devices are recycled. What other alternative we have but that companies are made to take back their junk.

‘Chip’ping in! DYPC gets featured in Chip magazine

Talking of shot in arm, this came as a booster shot! Being featured in one of India’s most prestigious technology magazines is an honor and we at DYPC are thrilled and that is truly an understatement.

Thanks to Priyanka Tilve of Chip magazine who wrote this article on E-Waste and conducted interview with us.

The difference between DYPC donors and Apple Inc.

Well this is like comparing Apples with Oranges (pun intended!). Ofcourse Apple Inc. is a multi-billion dollar company which has to make profits for itself and its shareholders and DYPC donors are.. well just a group of people who donate the products made by Apple’s competitors to be reused!

But still I could not help making this comparison because this week Apple’s game changer tablet iPad was ‘launched’ in India! Well it is not a secret that in next 3 months, next generation iPad is going to be launched in USA, so many commentators have called it dumping its inventory in India.

So now I ask you, were you able to spot the difference between DYPC and Apple? DYPC donors donate their old products whereas Apple sells its old products in aspiring markets!

DYPC gets a DNA mapping!

DYPC got a healthy mention in a news article by DNA Bangalore on e-Waste management. Take a look!

Yet another New Year Wish!

Then there were something called ‘Netbooks’

Did that ring a bell? Wikipedia defines netbooks as ‘a category of small, lightweight, and inexpensive laptop computers.’ and unofficially sets the ‘inception’ date to 2007. A study indicated that by September 2009 netbooks accounted for 20% of all portable computer shipments. All the major computer manufacturers had launched atleast one netbook model and though Windows was once again the preferred OS for the netbooks, Google’s Chrome OS was being touted as THE operating system which was just right for these devices.

Well. All that happened before January 27, 2010 the date when the iPad was announced. As iPad became the fastest selling non-phone digital device, suddenly netbooks found no takers! As more tablets from Samsung, Dell and others flood the market, netbooks are going the way of dodo.

We don’t know if tomorrow something will kick the tablets off their high pedestal. Technology is evolving faster than ever rendering more digital waste around the world which ultimately finds way to some developing country like India. Recycling is going to be a environmentally costly business and it is high time reuse is promoted rigorously.

A small recognition!

DYPC got a morale booster mention in a special report on e-Waste in Western India’s leading daily Rajasthan Patrika. Thanks to Pravin Jakhar of Patrika who did this story and contacted us for the details.

Read the report and don’t miss the box on bottom left!

DYPC gets a mention in Rajasthan Patrika

Happy Independence Day. Now let’s make it count too!

This photo was taken two years ago when Right to Education did not exist. That every child could go to school and get education was just one of the ‘Directive Principles’, guidelines for Government to take, but by no means mandatory on its part.

Now there is this law but you will still see this sight on your way to work (or movie or shopping whatever!). Why? Despite Government spending so much on education (and even imposing 2% education cess) why are so many children still out of school? Why are there so many children still working as labourers despite the laws?

It is time to raise these questions and demand some answers from the Government. It is time to join our forces to achieve some tangible goals. This Independence Day let’s try to give atleast one child freedom from illiteracy.

Because it is time to celebrate Independence Day not only on 15th August!

DYPC and Col. Shamsher Singh Foundation join hands

As they say “Well begun is half done” and the beginning sure seems good.
We were in talks with Col. Shamsher Singh Foundation for quite sometime about how we can collaborate.

So it seemed like a perfect opportunity to take the talks to next level when on 19th June 2010, Actor Gul Panag (who is a part of the Foundation) brought with her a PC donated by Simarprit Singh and personally donated it to YMCA Bangalore on a short visit to their campus.

The entire activity was coordinated by Amit Sharma (who was accompanied by her daughter on this occasion).

We believe that this small step will lead to bigger collaboration and successes for both organizations in future.