Recycled parts.. mixed feelings.. How do you feel it could be OK?

[cdev]

Recently Ive gotten a few really great deals on devices that (I could see from their condition) used recycled parts. I am starting to think they have a place in the market.

I think vendors should disclose the fact to buyers they are there,  also they should never be used in any kind of critical part..

As long as its 100% clear that a device uses them, if its also cheaper, and not a critical part whose failure would cause injury or a business stoppage, or similar, I am okay with it, if it can be done safely. (which currently its NOT!)

There should be some means of showing that a product uses them, so that people don't buy a device thinking it has new parts when they are used.

But, for example, recently I got two DS3231 RCs for my Raspberry Pis. Turns out it seems that they were genuine, recycled parts.  Total cost for the two was around $3.

Anyway, especially in the educational context, people learning electronics, having access to cheap parts which otherwise would be unaffordable is worth the risk in non-critical settings.

As long as it is disclosed upfront.

(and it needs to be all the way down the chain)  I don't think recycled parts should be used in mainstream products, just ones used for non-critical applications - experimentation, schools, maybe hey could be labeled recycled-"hobby grade" or something.

Its similar to getting parts from a car junkyard.. Sometimes its a life saver allowing somebody to get a few more years out a device that would otherwise go into the recycle chain for a dumb reason, lack of one part.

Full disclosure is the key to it being acceptable. Recycled parts should never be sold as new.

[Deodand2014]

My feelings are much the same as yours, if the part is second hand, recycled, reconditioned or salvage, that status should be made clear to the purchaser, to do otherwise is to put people at risk.

[Zero999]

It might be difficult selling on places like ebay, as they don't have a category for made with recycled parts. I wonder if labelling the product as refurbished or used, even though it's mostly new, with a few of the more expensive parts recycled would be acceptable?

If I bought something described refurbished and found it was new product, made with recycled parts, I'd be happy.

[cdev]

Exactly,

That said, they should also be returnable for replacements or refunds if they don't work as expected.

With some more expensive, more useful parts, it seems like insanity to just throw them out when they can have a new life in some other device.

What should they sell for? A fraction of what they would cost new.


Quote from: Deodand2014 on Today at 09:01:35

My feelings are much the same as yours, if the part is second hand, recycled, reconditioned or salvage, that status should be made clear to the purchaser, to do otherwise is to put people at risk.