A while back, I posted about this. Here's further information you may find
useful.

We have been using a Company called Semicycle in Austin. They provided the
boxes, arrange prepaid shipment, and resell the trays. Formerly, Semicycle
paid us $0.30 per pound for the trays. They take reels, but pay nothing for
them.

Now, things are different (I just find today)...

As of early this year, Semicycle has become the Semicycle Foundation. They
are associated with Peak Plastics, one of the major suppliers of new matrix
trays. The Semicycle Foundation will no longer pay for the trays. The
profits from this recycling activity are donated to organizations such as
Make a Wish Foundation, and the Ronald McDonald Houses. I was told the
current yield to these charities is some $30-40K per month.

They re-sell the cleaned and sorted trays to device manufacturers for
between $2 and $8 each. A company or individual who donates these trays to
a legitimate charitable organization may take a "fair market value" IRS
deduction for this.

This would apparently mean that instead of receiving six or eight cents
cash, you could take a $2 (or so) deduction worth maybe $0.60 each - if you
are lucky enough to be working for a profitable US Company...

While I am not exactly a tree hugger, we are taking the small amount of
time it takes to box up the trays, and shipping them to Austin. At least it
reduces the mass in our dumpster, and maybe it helps a few folks, even
setting the tax deal aside.

I may be getting some of the above twisted, so consume 0.065 g of NaCl. See
your local beancounters for details.

For more information, contact Semicycle at 512-339-4229 (Kevin Parent) or
email [log in to unmask]

It all sounds too nice to be true, eh? Maybe I can start the "Cupples
Foundation" real soon. It would have to be easier than soldering QFP's.


cheers,


Jerry Cupples
Interphase Corporation
Dallas, TX USA
http://www.iphase.com


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