Green Machine Computers has been working hard to help our planet. We recycle tonnes of IT WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) each month, diverting it away from landfill; and we turn it into apprenticeships, training and employment.

Some Facts about IT (WEEE) Waste – WEEE Waste is a Huge environmental Problem

• Electronic waste (WEEE waste) is the fastest growing waste stream.
• 5 years ago, the world disposed of around 20 million tonnes of electronic waste in a year.
• Last year, the world produced 50 million tonnes of it.
• In the current throwaway society in which we live, many of us replace mobile phones annually, and laptops and other IT equipment every other year.
• Currently only 12.5% of this WEEE waste is recycled. This means over 40 million tonnes ends up in landfill annually, with all the pollution, the loss of scarce materials and the waste of value which that entails.

Recycling WEEE Waste

A lot of what is labelled as WEEE waste is not “waste” at all, but whole pieces of electronic equipment, or parts which are readily marketable for reuse, or alternatively, IT equipment which can easily repaired or recycled for materials recovery.

On average, every 273 laptops that we recycle saves the energy equivalent of running one home for a year – so on a global scale recycling one million laptops could save the energy equivalent of running over 3,660 homes in a year!

Wasted Energy and Resources

Incredibly, making one new desktop computer and monitor uses over 240 kilograms of fossil fuel, 21 kilograms of chemicals (including rare non-renewable elements), and 1.5 tonnes of fresh water. This equates to just one household computer consuming resources equivalent in weight to a family car.

We are helping the environment.

So, every device which Green Machine Computers refurbishes and passes on for reuse, or recycles, saves the environment a huge amount of energy, materials and pollution.

We also help people.

Green Machine Computers redistributes much of the IT equipment that we collect by either donating it to charities or local organisations, or by selling it on at preferential rates and using the proceeds to fund in-house apprenticeships, training and education.

Many of our volunteers and employees approach us directly, or are referred through local schools, colleges or charities providing work experience or career transition programs. Many of our staff have faced challenges and are often in need of extra support to be able to return to mainstream work. To enable this we put them through apprenticeships in business administration, office management and computer technician roles.

Our Aim. – How we help people and the planet and you.

We aim to collect as much unwanted IT equipment as possible from businesses and organisations across the UK, refurbishing it for reuse, adding years to its usability and life-cycle, and recycling reusable materials. We focus on repairing laptops, desktop computers and servers, training people to fix this equipment and enabling them to get qualifications by doing so.