One person's waste is another person's treasure

One person's waste is another person's treasure, goes the saying. Or in this case one company's e-waste is treasure for a school. Let me explain why. Last week my “to do” list included a very simple and rewarding task - to call a school and offer them a cash donation as part of a tech recycling scheme that I have been running for a few months at Zurich. 

The scheme is simple. Zurich is refreshing corporate iPhones used by employees. Several hundred in total and then replacing them with a newer model. The old devices are mostly in full working condition but coming to the end of their software support. In normal circumstances, the devices would be wiped and then sent to a waste management company who would securely shred and dispose of them. 

Under the new scheme, all data from the devices is securely wiped using the inbuilt software and then they are sent to a recycling company for processing. The recycling company inspects each device, runs their own certified data removal process and purchases the devices from us. The recycler then either strips the devices for parts/materials or refurbishes them so they can be resold with a warranty - embracing the circular economy. 

100% of the proceeds generated from selling the phones has been donated to a number of schools local to Zurich UK offices. The money is then used by the schools to purchase new tech for use in school or at home by students who might have not tech at home. So far more than 400 phones have been recycled and more than £17,000 donated.

In the context of a large company this is small beer but to the schools and students that have benefited from the scheme, it has made a major impact!

For example, a donation of £4,500 to an infant school in the Portsmouth area meant the headteacher could buy a batch of new iPads so each classroom had a few devices to use for specific group activities. Previously they had to share a few devices across the school.

A similar donation to a school in Swindon provided monies to fund several laptops for some students with special educational needs and from difficult backgrounds for use at home.

 The reason, I championed the scheme and invested a load of my own time in collecting, checking, packing the phones and generally organising this scheme over a few months was after a conversation I had with my daughters head teacher about lack of budget for new tech in the classroom. This coincided with me taking part in the Micro-Tyco training program offered by Wildhearts Talent, a social enterprise and these things together gave me the impetus to enquire what was going to happen when I recieved the new device and returned my old one. One thing then led to another.

I’m sharing this story after i read this BBC article with the idea that it inspires someone else to re-think how they deal with e-waste. Sometimes when you read an article like that I shared, the problem seems overwhelming and not something alone you can address. This might be true but small changes can still have a big impact on their own. In this case both environmental and social. 

 Until next time.