Digital Links helps sponsor Sustainable Development 2009 to promote responsible and ehtical government ICT disposal strategies

Digital Links’ is offering practical and sustainable solutions to the growing problem of e-waste in the UK while ensuring that equipment send abroad is not only fully-functional, but has several years of life remaining. Aissatou Sow, Executive Director of Digital Links said, “This is a very timely forum. Given the recent press surrounding the growing problem of waste in the UK and irresponsible disposal of redundant IT, Digital Links is offering an ethical, sustainable and innovative solution that benefits local councils and provides first access to IT for millions in developing countries.”

Each year hundreds of millions of PCs, laptops, monitors and printers become obsolete. In the UK alone, over three million PCs end up in landfills. Many of these are fully functional and have several years of life remaining. To create just one desktop PC uses 1.8 tons of raw materials, therefore it is imperative to utilise computers to their fullest extent. Reuse is the best form of recycling and when working computers are reused and faulty machines are environmentally recycled, landfills are spared from the accumulation of e-waste.

By donating redundant IT assets to Digital Links for reuse in project across the developing world, the UK government can reduce land fill by over 7 million tonnes and enable first access to IT to more than 5 million young people in disadvantaged communities.

Digital Links offers a comprehensive and quality-assured IT disposal service to UK companies refurbishing computers for reuse in developing countries. Our service provides a cost-effective and ethical means of meeting IT disposal obligations under the WEEE Directive. We work with professional asset management companies who undertake collection and refurbishment on our behalf. This allows prompt accommodation of large and multiple collections and ensures the highest standard of service.

With growing concerns over sustainable operations, Digital Links urges government and corporations across the UK to consider the environmental implications of IT refreshes.

Going forward, Digital Links intends to engage with local and national government to ensure the safe, professional and ethical disposal of redundant IT.

For more information on this forum or Digital Links’ service offer, please contact Bronwen McConkey on +44 (0) 207 785 6261 or Bronwen@digital-links.org