James Burgett started as a homeless Dumpster-diver.
He’d build computers out of the parts he’d salvaged and sell them to feed his drug habit. After he donated a couple to a school, a company read about it, and called asking if he wanted 2,000 old desktops. One man’s trash is another man’s transformation into enterprising eco-hero.
The Alameda County Computer Recycling Center was born… The center refurbishes and ships out 2,400 computers a year to anyone in need. Today, he is among 39 being honored as environmental heroes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. – Oakland Tribune via insidebayarea