Recycling Office Equipment

Two of the UK's most innovative not-for-profit companies are combining their knowledge and expertise in the redistribution and recycling of both office furniture and computer equipment, to benefit organisations at home and abroad.

Digital Links International and Green-Works hope that businesses will come to view them as a 'one-stop shop' for cost effective and environmentally friendly disposal solutions, when moving office, downsizing or replacing old equipment. They have previously worked together on a highly successful project in Ghanna, which saw more than 200 computers and desks find a new home in a school.

Digital Links International secures the donation of redundant PCs from private and public organisations in the UK, refurbishes and provides them at low cost to schools, community centres, hospitals and social enterprises in developing countries. It represents a low cost way of managing redundant computer equipment and gives companies a guarantee that their computers will help to transform the educational and economic opportunities of thousands of young people in Africa and other developing countries.

Green-Works was established in 2000, to provide businesses with a practical service to remove redundant office furniture, whilst simultaneously tackling environmental concerns and helping with local community groups. As well as providing low cost furniture to the third sector and small start-up business, the process of collecting, warehousing and delivering furniture to community organisations allows Green-Works to train long term unemployed and disadvantaged people, providing them with skills that will benefit them greatly in the future.

David Sogan, CEO and founder of Digital Links International, said, "It's great to be working with Green-Works as they operate in such a similar way and have similar values to us. Sharing an office building in central London, we can easily combine our efforts for organisations in both the UK and developing countries, providing a much better service and also reducing the amount of waste going to landfill."

"We share the same ethos as Digital Links and see this redundant furniture as a fantastic resource for schools and communities across Africa and the developing world," said Colin Crooks, Chief Executive and founder of Green-Works commented. "For us it is heart-warming to see well-made products that are put to waste in this country going to help people that really need it."

Since being founded in 2002, Digital Links International has distributed more than 19,000 computers to over 1000 schools and other institutions in 15 different countries, making it one of the largest and most successful organisations in the sector. This improved access has led to increased education and economic opportunities for more than 500,000 people, with the aim for 2005 to being to pass the one million beneficiaries milestone.

Green-Works processes nearly 1,000 tonnes of office furniture every month, consequently diverting more than 10,000 tonnes of waste away from landfill every year, creating valuable employment opportunities in the process. One of the leading social enterprises in the UK, it has revolutionised office furniture waste streams ensuring that nearly 5,000 schools, charities, community groups, housing associations and even small businesses can benefit hugely. High profile clients include Royal Bank of Scotland, FujiFilm, the DTI, Barclays Bank Plc, BP, Diageo, DEFRA and Marks and Spencer.

Donors to the Diigital Links International scheme have already included DHL, Ford, Reuters, Shell, Barclays, Centrica, Research Machines, Bupa, Unicef, Commercial Transfer, Allsop, Turner Broadcasting System and the Guardian. Every donor receives detailed feedback on how their equipment is being used to benefit others.

Digital Links International's reputation in the UK is based on the safe and efficient handling of redundant PC's. Donors are safe in the knowledge that the PC's hard drives will be cleared of any sensitive information, by being professionally sanitised to GCHQ standards, and that the organisation complies with all existing and proposed environmental legislation.

The minimum amount for donations to Digital Links International is 25 or more items (base units or monitors) with the following minimum specifications: Pentium II processor (P350MHz) / 64 Mb of RAM / 4Gb Hard Drive / 15" Monitor. When office furniture secured by Green-Works is not in a condition to be passed on to a community group, it is dismantled into component materials and recycled in innovative ways; wood is used for art projects or biomass, metal is sold for re-smelting. Ensuring this zero-percent landfill policy is a core part of the Green-Works mission.

Contact details and information

Digital Links: telephone 020 7785 6260 or visit www.digital-links.org

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