[CONTEST CLOSED] Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: a Gently Used Contest!

AmyReyes
Community Manager

UPDATE: This contest has ended — huge thanks to everyone who shared their recycling photos and stories! Congrats to our three randomly selected winners: @zRobert@JossyK, and @TMRoberts!

 

It’s National Recycling Day here in the U.S. and we thought why not repurpose one of our past contests for a little recycling fun

 

Did you know electronic waste or e-waste is the fastest growing source of waste globally? A lot of what’s considered “e-waste” is not waste at all though! According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a lot of it is whole electronic equipment or parts that could be reused or recycled.

 

That’s why we chose to focus on upcycling old tech to create delightful new trinkets like the adorable wireshark @Nash crocheted from old cables (read the story here!). By finding innovative new ways to repurpose our tech, we can all do our part in helping to keep plastics and toxic waste out of our landfills. (Of course, companies and organizations must do their part too. Cisco has a Takeback and Reuse Program to that end.)

 

We love seeing all of the creative ways you come up with to repurpose tech too! Like how @redsector transformed these little bags Meraki devices come in, into an advent calendar that keeps the Meraki holiday spirit alive for years to come.

 

Traditional German holiday advent calendar made from Meraki packaging by @redsectorTraditional German holiday advent calendar made from Meraki packaging by @redsector

 

Or how @Nick_S-B converted a redundant Cisco 4506 chassis into a nifty coffee table for the company’s breakout area just by adding a logo and a glass top!

 

Coffee table made from Cisco chassis by @Nick_S-BCoffee table made from Cisco chassis by @Nick_S-B

For this contest, we want to know how you are transforming your busted, broken, or simply outdated tech to give it new life as a completely reimagined masterpiece or by passing it on to someone who will get plenty of use from it. Let’s see those pics of your old MX appliance turned paperweight! Got grand plans but no photographic evidence? That’s okay, too. You can simply tell us about your project or the plans you have in store to reduce e-waste through reusing or recycling old tech.

 

How to Win

In a comment on this post, submit your repurposed or upcycled tech as an image or via a brief description and be entered to win swag. Submit your entry on this blog post before 11 a.m. EST on Monday, November 21st (11/21/2022).We’ll then draw three at random to win a Meraki Hydroflask mug! Your entries will be public and visible throughout the contest.

 Continue reducing and reusing with this mug!Continue reducing and reusing with this mug!

 

 

 

The fine print

23 Comments
AldoSalinas
Conversationalist

Created this picture frame with old PC and Laptop hard drives a few years ago.

 

20180327_142652.jpg

zRobert
Comes here often

Invisible tree with hard-drive platters.

 

zRobert_0-1668545410784.jpeg

 

TMRoberts
Getting noticed

So I have two ... one is not quite "upcycling" as more mutually assured data destruction ... MADD .... we would give our old drives we needed to make sure were really dead and wiped and give them to our resident sharp shooter. He would take them out to his family campground and put everything from..22 through to .50 cal rounds through them and send us pics for our internal gallery!

The real upcycling story was when I worked in BlueShield we had a Christmas wreath contest by dept and someone gave IT one to "decorate", wish I still had pics but we spray painted it blue as we attached old NICs, random other cards, old RAM (green on green didn't work, why we went blue also blue shield) and then back-lit it with USB powered Christmas lights it was all set and awesome.

Coupe2112
Getting noticed

Our department Christmas tree is made from old PC components (and a string of lights)!

 

IMG_20221115_155625170.jpg

TGMI
New here

"Cisco Meraki is the Apple of our Solutions""Cisco Meraki is the Apple of our Solutions"

 

We support the Woman Owned Business that creates these beautiful pieces  or art from recycled computer parts.

jengelha
Just browsing

Made a pen holder from some old 3.5" floppy disks. Had this for over 10 years. Had to give the disks more RAM too.

 

IMG_0760.jpg

TGMI
New here

Pens for the recycled pencil-box!Pens for the recycled pencil-box!

 

eh_cve_cc
Conversationalist

I make chimes or cymbals for the service desk out of old hard drive platters. When we resolve tickets we hit the cymbals and say "Another Satisfied Team Member!".

Raj25
Just browsing

Wow!

LECISCOKID
Comes here often

Our delivery folks work hard for us all year (but especially during the holidays) .. So our Meraki fridge keeps a few drinks cold for them all season long !IMG_6095.jpg

JossyK
Just browsing

Sorry I do t have pics, but I am fixing old computers, donated from companies, partnering with San Diego Coastal Rotary Club and donate them to the community in need. 

tunisiano
New here

Hello, no pics here, but we're partnering with a learning center that clean up, and repair with their students if needed the hardware of all types, and reuse them or sell them at low cost to pay their bills.

Gislavedshus
Getting noticed

its a very nice, i hope to get it and put it in my office

KarstenI
Kind of a big deal

May I present, the most beautiful doorstop in the world:

IMG_2285.jpeg

 

Recycled when upgraded to a Z3.

(Oh, I just imagine that my door is quite dirty. I'll directly go and clean it.)

AlisonD
Meraki Employee

So creative. I am especially impressed by the apple art, but love the imagination behind so many of these creations. The glass-topped table is such a simple idea but looks incredible--especially in the lobby area where customers wait. It certainly is far more impressive than some of the tables they come up with on some of those HGTV shows! And a pen, a pencil holder made out of all those old floppy disks, that amazing 'invisible' tree... the list goes on. Thanks for the ideas

CalvynLee
Conversationalist

Xmas is around the corner, Merry Xmas

 

xmas.jpeg

MRT320
New here

Some years ago I worked at a company where there wasn't an aircon in the office and the manager didn't give us a permission to work from the server room. Didn't allow us to buy an office fan either. I dived into to the skip, where we used to throw away electronics and made this, out of discarded PSUs.

 

 

office_fan.jpg

Most people said it will be a all-show-no-go but surprisingly it had some punch and I used it for quite a while. I planned to make it bigger (16 fans) but as soon as I started working on the frame the heatwave went away. If I look hard enough I might might a video when it was operational.
It was oficially PAT tested and you can see the sticker on the right side. Whether it would pass if tested by another person is entirely different matter 😉

Few years before that I made a scaled down football stadium (pitch, stands and everything) out of old harddrives. I can't find the photo atm though.

AmyReyes
Community Manager

UPDATE: This contest has ended — huge thanks to everyone who shared their recycling photos and stories! Congrats to our three randomly selected winners: @zRobert, @JossyK, and @TMRoberts

zRobert
Comes here often

Woooo! Thanks @AmyReyes!   Do you require my address?

 

Robert 

AmyReyes
Community Manager

😄🎉 @zRobert you will receive an email from me / Postal.io with a link to claim your prize! You can input your address and confirm your mailing then.

JossyK
Just browsing

Awesome, thank you so much. 

BlakeRichardson
Kind of a big deal

Well done everyone! Some really nice pieces, loved the framed HDD's such a simple bit elegant design.

 

We donate most of our old equipment to charities that re-use it in poorer countries or areas. 

Gislavedshus
Getting noticed

It was very nice mug, i hope to get one on my office. 

 

i like to much Cisco Meraki and i have too much devices from Cisco, i hope som time get som gift from Cisco.