Computers 4 Charity: Turning Surplus Tech into Climate and Community Impact
At Techies Go Green, we’re proud to partner with organisations that are not only taking steps toward carbon neutrality but are also using innovation and purpose to create meaningful social change.
One such organisation is Computers 4 Charity (“C4C”) a registered UK technology charity and long-standing Techies Go Green signatory. Since joining our community in February 2022, C4C has become a credible example of what’s possible when climate action and community support come together to drive impact.
More recently, C4C’s Voluntary Chief Executive, George Cook, was appointed as Techies Go Green’s Social and Community Ambassador in recognition of his pioneering philanthropic work and dedication as a passionate social entrepreneur campaigning for digital inclusion.
A Circular Model That Cares for People and the Planet
Computers 4 Charity operates with a clear and compelling goal: to ensure that the highest possible number of donated devices are redistributed freely to charities and community causes across the UK.
Using a social enterprise model, Computers 4 Charity aims to be self-funding through the resale of surplus parts and equipment and in doing so, the charity invests in training, volunteering, and job creation, particularly for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Computers 4 Charity’s work exemplifies the idea that IT sustainability isn’t just about surplus asset management and reuse, central to their ethos is a governing principle that champions reducing e-waste whilst maximising social value and creating a positive legacy in the communities they serve.
Rethinking IT Asset Disposal for Greater Good
The charity has been refurbishing computers since 2006 since the inception of CyberCycle and then Digital Pipeline before creating Computers 4 Charity in its current iteration. Now Computers 4 Charity operates with a clear vision is to provide the best green IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) solution possible with full Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) fulfilment.
Computers 4 Charity’s green IT disposal service is designed to be quick, secure, low or no cost, and aligned with modern ESG priorities.
It gives organisations a practical and responsible way to:
Reduce their environmental footprint
Support Net Zero targets
Extend the life cycle of their tech
Empower local charities and communities
Help bridge the UK’s digital divide
Their model harmoniously blends sustainability goals with social impact creating a powerful reason for organisations of all sizes, across the UK, to rethink how they approach the management and value of their redundant or end of life IT assets.
Every piece of tech that passes through the charity is handled with care and purpose. Computers 4 Charity maintains their own fully functional ITAD facilities and utilise their own in-house, bespoke data wiping software that meets and exceeds industry standards, ensuring their clients data is securely and permanently erased.
Computers 4 Charity’s ITAD workshop is spearheaded by Head of Refurbishment, Jonathan Cook who developed their in house data wiping solution, following NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1 guidelines to purge standard or above.
“The NIST guidelines were the first set of accurate and well thought through modern instructions for secure data erasure. They avoid counterproductive myths and set the record straight by taking into consideration the technology behind different storage media, ensuring the correct measures are recommended for each device type.
We developed our software to quickly and efficiently erase according to the NIST purge standard (or above) across the board; every bit of our clients’ data is eradicated, protecting them and ensuring the hardware is preserved wherever possible for reuse.”
— George Cook, Honorary Chief Executive, Computers 4 Charity
Computers 4 Charity’s holistic approach to rebuilding and redeployment ensures that devices get a second life to support the circular economy either through discounted refurbished sales or onward donations to charity beneficiaries across the UK that support education, accessibility, and opportunity.
Caring for Climate
In 2022, the UN reported that the world generated 62 million tonnes of electronic waste. This figure represents a significant and growing stream of waste, with only a small fraction being properly recycled. The UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2024 highlighted that this e-waste is rising five times faster than documented recycling efforts with a projection to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, a further 33% increase from the 2022 figure. Source: https://ewastemonitor.info/the-global-e-waste-monitor-2024
Each device given a second life through refurbishment means a new one does not have to be manufactured and over 80% of a computer’s carbon footprint is in its production; every refurbished laptop saving the planet from 150kg of CO2e emissions and each desktop 250kg of CO2e.
To make this visible and tangible, Computers 4 Charity started recording total known CO2e emissions savings from all refurbished tech five years ago.
From June 2020 to May 2025, their efforts to extend the life of technology through refurbishment and reuse have resulted in the prevention of 1,535 tonnes of CO2e emissions, a significant environmental milestone that demonstrates the real-world impact of circular economy solutions towards Net Zero.
“This milestone is more than just a number. It’s proof that sustainable technology solutions can scale, deliver impact, and involve everyone. By engaging businesses, households, and communities, we’re showing that climate action, digital inclusion, and the circular economy can intersect to create measurable environmental and social value.”
— George Cook, Honorary Chief Executive, Computers 4 Charity
Caring for Community
Received from The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors was data wiped, refurbished and donated to St Saviour’s School.
But an ESG-focused approach goes beyond environmental considerations; it also places a strong emphasis on social impact. By supporting charitable causes through IT device deployment, companies can align their business goals with the broader social good. This approach not only promotes digital inclusion but also fosters economic empowerment, educational advancement, and increased opportunities for underserved individuals and communities.
In 2024 alone, C4C partnered with over 175 amazing charities, providing them with refurbished technology at zero cost, empowering them to do what they do best, change lives.
From helping charities with the cost-of-living crisis, foodbanks to reach more people and distribute more resources, community centres to provide digital accessibility to equipping veterans, young carers, schools and non-profits with the tools they need to grow, this achievement highlights the collective power of social responsibility. Every device C4C refurbished found a new home where it could make a difference, supporting inclusion, tackling social inequality, and driving positive change.
To homeless young people supported by YMCA LandAid House
To Evolve Housing, a homelessness charity in London providing housing and support to over 2,000 people each year
Hestia is the largest provider of modern slavery support in London and the south east.
Breathe Easy, King’s Lynn, is a support group which is part of Asthma & Lung UK
Hackney Foodbank provide emergency food parcels
Celebrating the Spirit of Partnership: United Forces for Good
The charity now has a growing community of corporate IT donors who donate their surplus computers as part of their conscious commitment to climate and community.
Charity partnerships with Business in the Community and LandAid are leveraged to distribute the tech to beneficiaries in need.
A key part of Computers 4 Charity’s mission is to actively engage with organisations across the UK to rethink their approach to end-of-life IT device management, resulting in 75 new businesses choosing them as their trusted ITAD partner by donating their tech for Environmental and Social Good.
From ongoing partners such as SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, Food Standards Agency, and Kent Fire & Rescue Service to new welcoming new IT donors like Amber Infrastructure Group, Paxton Access, and Atelier Finance, they all share a united purpose to make a greater contribution to the circular economy through technology reuse.
All backed up with the provision of Data Destruction and CO2e Emission Reduction Certificates which can be used as evidence of delivering ESG and moving towards NET ZERO.
Learn More Here
https://www.computers4charity.org/landaid-it-appeal
https://www.computers4charity.org/business-in-the-community-partnership
Donate Your Surplus Tech for Good
We’re incredibly proud to have Computers 4 Charity as part of the Techies Go Green community. Their model of ethical IT reuse, climate commitment, and social empowerment offers a blueprint for how surplus tech can drive real change.
If your organisation is exploring new ways to manage redundant or end-of-life IT assets, why not make surplus devices part of your ESG strategy?
We encourage our Techies Go Green members to connect and support their mission and together, we can build a more circular, inclusive, and climate-conscious future.
