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With the increasing amount of e-waste legislation, such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, that companies must comply with combined with the increased importance placed by customers on sustainable business, it is important that companies carefully consider how they dispose of unwanted IT equipment.
The problem of e-waste
Computers and other forms of electrical waste is a rapidly growing waste stream in the UK. For example, in Europe, 20kg of e-waste is generated per person per year. Companies will generally upgrade their IT equipment every three years it is thus vital that they consider how to dispose of this unwanted equipment in an environmentally friendly way to ensure compliance with all the relevant environmental regulations.
The WEEE directive, which came into force in 2007, states that organisations’ should prioritise reuse over recycling. Reusing computers reduces the total volume of PCs in landfill and, since 80% of energy used by a PC during its lifetime occurs during the manufacturing stage, reuse also significantly reduces the carbon footprint of a PC. Furthermore, IT equipment contains toxic substances such as PVC and heavy metals and is often difficult to recycle so extending the life of a PC for as long as possible before recycling it is the most environmentally friendly option.
The need for ICT in developing countries
 While the amount of electronic equipment in landfill is growing in Europe, the digital divide between rich and poor countries is widening. Most unwanted computers in the UK can provide a further 3 to 4 years or up to 6,000 hours of additional use, however thousands of schools, hospitals and communities in developing countries do not have access to IT. Just one unwanted computer, when refurbished by an organisation such as Computer Aid, is enough to help educate 60 pupils to a vocational level in IT, which will significantly help in improving their job prospects.
How your company can reduce e-waste and help tackle poverty
By sending your unwanted IT equipment for reuse, you will be reducing the volume of e-waste and will be helping to tackle the root causes of poverty in developing countries including the lack IT education.
Computer Aid International works with companies to collect unwanted IT equipment, which we data wipe and refurbish before sending it to those who need it the most in countries across Africa and Latin America.
 One of the areas in which Computer Aid works is e-health. By working with the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF), Computer Aid has provided rural health workers in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania with laptops, digital cameras and scanners which can make a life-saving difference in the fight against diseases such as HIV/AIDs, malaria, Tuberculosis and waterborne diseases. In a region where there are only 12 doctors per 100,000 people (compared to 340 doctors per 100,000 in Europe), this technology allows health workers in isolated rural areas access to clinical diagnostic support from specialist doctors hundreds of miles away , enabling them to react quickly to medical situations which in many cases can make the difference between life and death.
To date, Computer Aid has provided more than 180,000 computers to over 100 countries. While this may sound like a lot, it is only a drop in the ocean compared to the demand for computers and we are always inundated with requests from organisations in developing countries.
Donating your IT to Computer Aid
 We want to make sure that donating to us is as easy and helpful as possible. We can pick up equipment (although we do ask for a donation to cover the cost of the drivers), we data wipe it, ensure compliance with the necessary data security and environmental regulation (including the WEEE directive) and asset track the computers so that our donors know exactly where they have gone and how they are being used.
So the next time you have any unwanted IT equipment, why not give it a new lease of life and at the same time help to fight poverty and the e-waste problem by donating it to Computer Aid!
For more information visit www.computeraid.org
If it isn’t practical for you to use Computer Aid, please do ensure you still dispose of your computer responsibly by using another WEEE registered IT recycling company.
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