More often than not, when a team member or entire business upgrades its computers to a new model, there is a bit of a question mark around what to do with the old and unwanted devices. Do you sell them for a marginal amount of petty cash, do you keep them in the business as WFH devices, or do they simply gather dust in a cupboard because nobody knows what to do with them?
Well, here at Computer Aid, we are here to make a case for donating them to charity – specifically our charity, in the interest of international development, helping school children and those less fortunate a little closer to home, as well as buoying your corporate social responsibility and environmental commitments all at the same time.
Without further ado, here are five reasons why we suggest donating your old and unwanted computers to charity.
1. Reduce e-waste
Computer donation is one of the best ways of decreasing the amount of e-waste that is slowly wreaking havoc on natural habitats and environments surrounding landfill sites. Regardless of the industry or sector that your business operates in, climate change and protecting the environment are priorities that affect all of us – with e-waste being a growing problem that many of us are responsible for.
E-waste sites are growing by millions of tons every year, largely due to the fact that regular technology updates and upgrades are rendering devices as outdated and unwanted far quicker and well before the capacity of their product lifecycle. Interrupting this cycle by donating, rather than throwing away, your outdated computers and devices can do a world of good to our natural world.
2. Support sustainability
Continuing the environmental focus, for now, brings us nicely to sustainability. When you donate old computers to charity, you increase their lifespan and lifetime value – whilst reducing the need for more resources to be used and carbon emissions to be burned in creating new products. When devices and computers can be repurposed (or recycled efficiently when unusable), natural resources are conserved rather than wasted.
3. Boost your reputation
What better way to show that your company cares about giving back to communities and the environment, than by walking the walk and donating your unwanted devices to a good cause? When you partner with organisations like Computer Aid, you demonstrate to clients, customers, and industry peers that you are committed to a positive cause, your connection to the environment, and that you implement your corporate social responsibility in an action-led way.
4. Support Education
Supporting education is a reason very close to our hearts, it’s directly linked to our work of collecting, data wiping, and refurbishing unwanted or unused computers, and delivering them to schools and other educational facilities that need them most. When you partner with Computer Aid, you are helping to bridge the technology gap and empower schools globally. The beneficiaries of these devices are then able to stay connected and up to date with the current curriculum, which means your donations support education in a very direct way – both here in the UK and overseas for school communities that don’t have access to working computers and devices.
5. Give back
Tech philanthropy is just one way of demonstrating your business's commitment to giving back – with the simple but effective action of donating unwanted devices often having a life-changing effect on those who receive those computers.
The world is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, meaning that those without access to devices and to the internet are being left behind. When your company donates its unwanted computers to charity, you allow us to continue supporting these communities and less fortunate individuals – while at the same time supporting our sustainability drive to reduce e-waste worldwide.
Please note that any donated equipment must fit the following criteria: i3/i5/i7 processor, 250GB hard drive, 4GB RAM, no more than 7 years old, and in working condition.
To find out more about donating your old computers to charity, visit our website or get in touch today.