Back

The power of Free Software: Turning trash into treasure!

The Cape Verdean American Community Development () group has been reviving otherwise-obsolete computers with KDE ().

"The result? Less and more control over the functioning of personal devices. That means not having to buy new when your software becomes unusable over time."

Read more:

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2024/02/22/rhode-island-teens-are-fixing-junked-computers-and-learning-valuable-tech-skills/72340312007/

In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated. This is estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers, which, when stacked, is 17 times higher than Mount Everest. Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled. Although e-waste makes up less than 2% of trash in landfills, it contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste found in them. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Eiffel Tower icon by Daniela Baptista, moutain icon by Samy Menai, recycling icon by Kosong Tujuh, Excavator icon by Peter van Driel, Poison icon by Adrien Coquet, all licensed under a CC-BY license. Design by Lana Lutz.) From: "Handbook: Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software" https://eco.kde.org/handbook/
In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated. This is estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers, which, when stacked, is 17 times higher than Mount Everest. Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled. Although e-waste makes up less than 2% of trash in landfills, it contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste found in them. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Eiffel Tower icon by Daniela Baptista, moutain icon by Samy Menai, recycling icon by Kosong Tujuh, Excavator icon by Peter van Driel, Poison icon by Adrien Coquet, all licensed under a CC-BY license. Design by Lana Lutz.) From: "Handbook: Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software" https://eco.kde.org/handbook/
In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated. This is estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers, which, when stacked, is 17 times higher than Mount Everest. Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled. Although e-waste makes up less than 2% of trash in landfills, it contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste found in them. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Eiffel Tower icon by Daniela Baptista, moutain icon by Samy Menai, recycling icon by Kosong Tujuh, Excavator icon by Peter van Driel, Poison icon by Adrien Coquet, all licensed under a CC-BY license. Design by Lana Lutz.) From: "Handbook: Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software" https://eco.kde.org/handbook/
In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated. This is estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers, which, when stacked, is 17 times higher than Mount Everest. Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled. Although e-waste makes up less than 2% of trash in landfills, it contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste found in them. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Eiffel Tower icon by Daniela Baptista, moutain icon by Samy Menai, recycling icon by Kosong Tujuh, Excavator icon by Peter van Driel, Poison icon by Adrien Coquet, all licensed under a CC-BY license. Design by Lana Lutz.) From: "Handbook: Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software" https://eco.kde.org/handbook/
In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated. This is estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers, which, when stacked, is 17 times higher than Mount Everest. Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled. Although e-waste makes up less than 2% of trash in landfills, it contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste found in them. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Eiffel Tower icon by Daniela Baptista, moutain icon by Samy Menai, recycling icon by Kosong Tujuh, Excavator icon by Peter van Driel, Poison icon by Adrien Coquet, all licensed under a CC-BY license. Design by Lana Lutz.) From: "Handbook: Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software" https://eco.kde.org/handbook/
In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated. This is estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers, which, when stacked, is 17 times higher than Mount Everest. Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled. Although e-waste makes up less than 2% of trash in landfills, it contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste found in them. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Eiffel Tower icon by Daniela Baptista, mountain icon by Samy Menai, recycling icon by Kosong Tujuh, Excavator icon by Peter van Driel, Poison icon by Adrien Coquet, all licensed under a CC-BY license. Design by Lana Lutz.) From: "Handbook: Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software" https://eco.kde.org/handbook/

replied to BE4FOSS (KDE Eco)'s status

The most environmentally-friendly device is the one you already own!

let's you use your devices until the end of the hardware's life cycle, not the software's!

See these previous posts about the environmental harm of and the role of Free Software in combatting it:

https://floss.social/@be4foss/110621217725970868

https://floss.social/@be4foss/109421504418938343 (see thread)

Interested in getting involved with ? https://eco.kde.org/get-involved/

Logo of the KDE Eco initiative. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Lana Lutz.)
Logo of the KDE Eco initiative. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Lana Lutz.)
Logo of the KDE Eco initiative. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Lana Lutz.)
Logo of the KDE Eco initiative. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Lana Lutz.)
Logo of the KDE Eco initiative. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Lana Lutz.)
Logo of the KDE Eco initiative. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Lana Lutz.)
Logo of the KDE Eco initiative. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Lana Lutz.)

replied to BE4FOSS (KDE Eco)'s status

And if you are wondering: What does sustainability have to do with software at all?

How can something so seemingly immaterial as software have an environmental footprint?

Find some answers in the KDE handbook "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software"!

And watch the talk at "Software Licensing For A Circular Economy"

https://media.ccc.de/v/37c3-12047-software_licensing_for_a_circular_economy

Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.
Cover of an e-book. Title: "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software". Subtitle: "A handbook to certify software as sustainable. A KDE Eco initiative." Under the title is the KDE Eco logo of a blue K with a green gear around it sprouting a leaf. The website address appears under it: eco.kde.org. The e-book is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0) license.

replied to BE4FOSS (KDE Eco)'s status

More info about the infographic:

In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste were generated, estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers. When stacked, this is 17 times higher than Mt. Everest.

Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled.

Although e-waste makes up less than 2% of trash in landfills, it contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste.

See the alt text for license info.

From: "Handbook: Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software"

https://eco.kde.org/handbook/