Communities against e-waste
Every year, over 1.6 million tonnes of e-waste is thrown away in the UK, even though 40% of recycled laptops could be reused.
Tech Rescue is turning old, unwanted tech into a lifeline for the 1.6 million people in the UK who lack access to essential digital devices.
Thanks to National Lottery players, Tech Rescue has received £1,497,312 over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. And together with The University of Liverpool and Material Focus, we’re looking to transform how the UK thinks about e-waste.
The project will also include a national campaign centred around regional hubs where people can donate their old devices for reuse, preventing 50,000kg of e-waste, strengthening communities’ digital inclusion, and helping make the UK a leader in circular practice.
This comes from the Climate Action Fund, a long-term commitment to support communities across the UK to act on climate change and involve more people in positive environmental action. The programme aims to gift 8,500 devices directly to households, helping to fix the digital divide through long term, sustainable action.
But more than that, the project seeks to build capacity for device reuse across the UK, getting devices flowing within the regions thanks to collaboration between the public, private and third sectors. We are partnering with 12 regional organisations to share their knowledge and experience of device reuse and working with them to drive cross sector action and behaviour change within communities.
Delivered in partnership with:
National Lottery Community Fund
University of Liverpool
Material Focus
What we're aiming for
- Inspire more community led organisations to set up or scale device refurbishment schemes - increasing the capability and capacity for community refurbishment across the UK. We begin by amplifying the work of 12 regional ‘Tech Rescue Hubs’.
- Establish an ecosystem for device donation, refurbishment and reuse within each region and increase the flow of devices within those regions. Our goal is for 8,500 devices to be gifted directly to households during the project period.
- Recruit 240+ ‘E-Waste Champions’ to increase public awareness of device reuse mechanisms and encourage them to take action through participation (as a donor, a volunteer, a refurbisher or an advocate).
- By June 2029 anyone, whether an individual or organisation, can feel confident and happy to donate their disused devices for digital inclusion benefit and have somewhere local to go to do it.
Meet the Tech Rescue Hubs
Tech Rescue is powered by 12 community focused Tech Rescue Hubs across the UK. These are local, expert refurbishers who collect devices, train e-waste champions, and are distributing devices for digital inclusion benefit.
Screen Share UK
London
Tech Skills for Life Great Yarmouth
East of England
PCrefurb
East Midlands
ReCognition Circular CIC
West Midlands
BornGood CIC
North East
Recycle-IT!
North West
Refurbit
Yorkshire and Humber
Repair & Share Foyle
Northern Ireland
The Turing Trust
Scotland
The Tech-Takeback Foundation
South East
Donate IT
South West
TBC
Wales
Meeting people where they are
One of our most effective interventions to support people experiencing digital exclusion comes from partnerships with local and regional organisations.
Do you refurbish and redistribute devices in your community?
We are establishing a Peer Learning Network to share experience and expertise. Would you like to meet others doing what you're doing? Or maybe you would like to benefit from our campaign launching in 2027? Contact us, mentioning Tech Rescue in your message.
Are you a local or combined authority looking to boost digital inclusion in your region?
We're establishing a Cross Sector Action Network to develop regional ecosystems of device reuse. Do you want to be part of this and help to get more devices flowing into your region for digital inclusion? Contact us, mentioning Tech Rescue in your message.