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Charity can begin at work
06 June 2010 By Dermot Corrigan
Organisations often need to replace PCs or other IT hardware which no longer meets their business requirements, as it may not run the latest applications or software for example, but which still functions relatively well.
Instead of simply shredding or recycling this hardware, an increasing number of companies donate it to organisations or charities which can ensure that any remaining life in the machines is put to good use.
One such NGO is Camara, which takes in used IT equipment from companies, securely deletes all data and then refurbishes the machines for use in schools in Ireland and Africa.
"Businesses all want to promote best practice policy for their e-waste in a secure manner," said Eoghan Crosby, technical director of Camara.
"We reuse the equipment in schools, but that is not the reason businesses deal with us. They come to us as we offer them a clean efficient service, we can match any quote that a business gets and the company get some good PR."
Crosby said the costs involved in preparing a computer for reuse in an Irish or African school are similar to the outlay required to decommission it for recycling.
"It costs €50 for Camara to send a computer to a school in Africa," he said. "We try and get €20 from the original donor, the business or individual, we fundraise €20 and we ask the school for €10.
"With people looking to cut costs at the moment, that €20 can be negotiated based on the quantities, while some companies leverage corporate and social responsibility (CSR) funding to cover the cost of collection."
Crosby said Camara facilitated all of a company's legal obligations when disposing of IT equipment.
"We take equipment from the likes of PricewaterhouseCoopers, AIB and Bord Gais, as well as a number of government departments," he said. "These clients are very concerned that all relevant legislation is strictly followed, including the WEEE directive and the Data Protection Act. We issue a recycling certificate and a certificate of data destruction within a couple of days of collecting the equipment.
"Our secure data-wiping process has been independently vetted by the UCD Cybercrime Unit. We also look after the end-of-life recycling of all equipment we send to schools in Ireland or Africa."
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