Why IT refurbishment should sit with CSR

What happens to old, retired and unused IT equipment these days? These devices (laptops) hold much of your organisation’s critical data, some of it, no doubt, highly confidential and ensuring that it is protected has to be the highest priority, but should it be the only priority?

Take, for example, the manufacturing process of producing a laptop. It produces just over one-third of a tonne of CO2 and takes 190,000 litres of water, not to mention the increasingly rare minerals for the more intricate parts of the process. Companies are increasingly getting their devices ethically disposed of with IT Asset Disposal companies (ITADs), where many components are recycled. Sometimes, a small residue value is given for workable equipment, which is a positive step forward. However, much of our e-waste still ends up in illegal sites in Africa, causing serious issues for the local population. Could there be a better way to dispose of your IT equipment?

Approximately 40% of the world remains unconnected from the internet, creating an ever-growing economic and social divide. This global issue affects people from every nation, but the majority are in the 46 poorest nations.

Without access to the largest repository of information ever amassed in human history (the internet), people are destined to remain educationally, economically and socially disadvantaged. There are many reasons for this division, some of it technological but mainly economic; people can’t access the tools to get them out of financial hardship, so there they remain, and the cycle continues.

unconnected.org are looking to break this cycle by connecting people to the internet. While in the developed world connectivity is relatively expensive, in developing countries, the devices are unaffordable; this is why donating your unused equipment to unconnected.org is an option to consider. Think what a difference your devices could make to school children in Uganda or rural communities in Papua New Guinea, getting online for the first time?

We handle your data to the highest UK security standards and then rehome your device to make a life-changing difference in somebody’s life, but why should it sit with the Corporate Social Responsibility team?

We understand the CSR value this donation would have and believe that organisations who donate equipment should be able to fully recognise that in several different ways. For a start, you could be saving somebody from purchasing a new laptop and stopping all those damaging environmental statistics from becoming a reality. CSR continues to grow in importance for recruiting & retaining staff, helping tell meaningful stories to customers & suppliers and, of course, reporting to shareholders.

unconnected.org will be able to give you all the certifications verifying the complete secure destruction of your data but also inform you where and how your devices were used. Janice, in accounts, is always fascinated to learn her old laptop is now educating children in India. In addition, we’ll give you a CSR/ESG report which you can use in your annual reports, and as CSR moves from the end of these reports to a more predominant position, this will become ever more important.

Your IT department may not understand all of the benefits for your organisation, but the CSR team invariably does.