Molten Media Trust - a case study
Cora Baillie
Community Information Service
(P O Box 84 Lincoln University, Canterbury)
Notes from a workshop
given at the Flaxroots Technology Conference, held in Wellington, New
Zealand, 17-18 April 2000. You are welcome to use this information if you
wish, but please acknowledge the source.
Objective of the session
- brief case study of Molten Media Trust’s development
- overview of some of the challenges in recycling computers
- introduction to the Community Information Service
"...for New Zealand to develop a
knowledge economy and not just be a call centre, it would seem that
meaningful access to the Internet and the like is crucial for currently
underachieving groups and cannot safely be left to market
forces."
The Capital Letter
*
Background of Molten Media Trust
- 1993 A small collective of unemployed artists started to pool resources in printing
and publishing, including two offset printing presses used for small
publishing runs.
- 1995 Molten Media Trust formalised as a charitable trust in response to the
facilities being used by a wider group.
- 1996 Community Work Centre opened to act as a base for people to re-enter the
workforce, with full time workers
- Provided publishing, computers for casual use and employment related activities.
- Many people were on NZES schemes - CTF and TFG mostly. There were also a large
number of casual clients.
- 1997 Widened activities to include a full time youth worker.
- Sponsored Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust (now a separate organisation).
- Sponsored Plant Community Gallery.
- A decision not to be involved with the Community Wage work scheme reduced the number of
volunteers.
1998 - 1999
- Developed Computer Recycling Project.
- Supplied and serviced computers placed by NZES in some Canterbury community groups to
access Jobs on the Internet (Pilot project)
- Urban Network project - to provide upgrading of Community groups’ electronic and
technical capacity, and to use this to further develop communication
between groups to foster support and best practice.
Current Status of Molten Media Trust
- Main business of Trust is supplying rebuilt computers to community groups and low income people
throughout New Zealand
- As this develops it will provide work for increasing numbers
"Overnight success usually takes about fifteen years."
Pita Alexander
Challenges in computer recycling
- Pace of change means computers not "traded-in"
- Growing pressure on landfill
- Resource-hungry manufacture
- materials used in older computers are hard to recycle
Glass Tubes
- Molten had accumulated over 75 m3 in 3 years since starting
- Potential heavy metal contaminants
- Need to be crushed
- Danger from glass shards
- Not economic (yet) to recover metals
- Other better sources for fibreglass manufacture
- Potential answers overseas
Plastic Casings
- Primarily ABS - good for recycling
- Must be identified and separated
- No easy way to identify plastic types
- High risk of impurities in post-consumer waste plastics
- Either spend effort to sort and process
- Or produce cheap regrind material
Other Materials
- Many other materials discarded in rebuiling computers eg dud or obsolete components
- Most are hard to dismantle eg soldered
- Small quantities of recoverables
- Need to find other uses
Key Issues
- Size of problem - computers, other office equipment, TVs, Videos
- What is happening overseas - legislation, cost recovery etc?
- What are the recycling opportunities?
- Can/should it be self sustaining?
- Who should pay?
- Is it a short term problem?
Current Status
- An Engineering Masters student is researching the issues with plastics
- Further investigations with computer organisations being done
- Further investigations on crushing glass being done
- Next Steps
- As with all recycling, Molten Media Trust needs a critical mass of both recyclable computers and orders to make the project worthwhile
- We hope that other community groups will support us by at least giving us a chance to give a quote on supplying computer needs
Community Information Service
A Community Employment - Lincoln University Partnership
Why did CE get involved with Lincoln University?
- CE recognised its responsibility to answer the more complex needs of its community partners
- Lincoln University has extensive experience in extension work and wished to build on its links with the community
- Lincoln University is willing to step outside the square in accessing local and global expertise
What has CIS done so far?
- Over 170 requests for information processed to April 2000
- Topics have included tourism, resource recovery, sport and art, organic gardening and medicinal herbs, landscape plans
- Requests have been from all regions of New Zealand
Topics of requests to April 2000
Molten Media Fact Sheet
Aim of the organisation
…to work with people who are
unemployed, in receipt of a benefit or on other forms of low income;
pooling ideas, energy and equipment to assist them to take control of
their own lives in a sustainable way.
What is Molten Media Trust?
Molten Media Trust’s main emphasis has changed over time.
Initially, it was a collective of unemployed artists working in publishing and printing.
Later, the main project was the operation of its Community Work Centre, which acted as a welfare support agency.
Currently, the Trust is concentrating on developing the Computer Recycling Project, and
defusing the fear of technology for community groups and low income people
by reducing the cost of mistakes.
Future plans involve developing training options, and young person development.
How has Molten Media Trust developed?
- 1993 A small collective of unemployed artists started to pool resources in printing
and publishing, including two offset printing presses, which were used for small publishing runs.
- 1995 Molten Media Trust formalised as a charitable trust in response to the
facilities being used by a wider group.
- 1996 Opened the Community Work Centre to act as a base for people to re-enter
the workforce, with full time workers, providing publishing, computers
for casual use, employment related activities. Many people were on NZES
schemes - CTF and TFG mostly. There were also a large number of casual
clients.
- 1997 Widened activities to include a full time youth worker.
- Sponsored Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust (now a separate organisation).
- Sponsored Plant Community Gallery.
- 1998 Developed Computer Recycling Project.
- A decision not to be involved with the Community Wage work scheme reduced the number of volunteers.
The initial emphasis on
printing and publishing meant that the Trust was in an area which has been
profoundly changed by computer technology. The increasing emphasis on
computers similarly brought a change of people involved.
There was a deep conflict
between the anarchic collective approach of the people who set Molten up,
and the computer ‘techies’ that were attracted by the piles of discarded
computers and parts.
Over the last year, there has
been a growing domination of the Computer Recycling project. There is one
trustee from the original group to "keep the flame."
What other organisations are involved?
Molten Media Trust has
received support from NZ Lottery Grants Board, Community Employment Group,
Canterbury Development Corporation and Christchurch City Council, from
both the Canterbury Development Corporation, and the Community Services
Committee of Council.
The Computer Recycling
Project has received publicity in the Recovered Materials Foundation
pamphlet on recycling sent to all households in Christchurch.
How is the Molten Media Trust managed?
- a five-member Board of Trustees
- a person managing the day-to-day operations under a contract for service
- one full time worker (subsidised)
- a number of volunteers, working from a couple of hours per week to 5 days
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