Leader: Wise up to PC recycling

Last week one of the silicon.com team was in Kenya to find out first-hand how PCs donated in the UK get into classrooms in the developing world - and to understand the impact they can have there.

The desire to be educated in Kenya, as with many other parts of the developing world, is immense and we witnessed abundant enthusiasm for learning among the children we met.

The fact donated PCs can dramatically improve the rate and the real-world relevance of that learning is something which should not be lost on companies in the UK that have the power to do something about it.

Many PCs still end up in landfill or get broken down in more environmentally friendly ways simply because they are deemed obsolete by our standards - and that is shameful.

silicon.com would encourage any business to look into whether it can donate PCs to organisations such as Computer Aid International which are working to bridge the digital divide and put the haves in touch with the have-nots.

There are some well-publicised and understandable concerns around donating PCs to the developing world. For example, data stored on those PCs becoming accessible to strangers. But this is not insurmountable - companies concerned about data security should either make sure they wipe the hard disks before disposing of the systems or speak to charities about what they can offer in this area.

Another concern is we are just passing on the end-of-life nightmare to the developing world. To this some argue developing nations are far better equipped to deal with the eventual end-of-life of a PC than we are in the UK. Local businesses can salvage real value from a PC because the culture is already based on 'reuse', rather than 'replace'.

To see old PC monitors being turned into fully working television sets is evidence of this. It also would be wrong to deny children the chance to benefit from that PC out of a misguided sense of eco-responsibility.

Critics also suggest these donated PCs are little more than knackered old boxes being shipped to the developing world to gather dust. Only individual companies will know how useless the kit they are 'offloading' is but chances are this criticism is unfounded where responsible charities are concerned. Computer Aid only accepts systems with Pentium II or faster chips - and before sending them off services them to ensure years of useful life.

The sooner large companies realise a whole office-full of PCs aren't obsolete simply because they don't run Windows Vista, or even XP, the better.

Other critics suggest PCs should not be donated to developing countries because they can't provide the electricity. While this is true of some areas, some also have well-built school buildings where generators can be used to run PCs.

Organisations such as Computers for Schools Kenya won't even supply PCs until they have inspected a school's electricity supply to prove it will support a room full of PCs.

So next time you're thinking about replacing PCs, think about why you shouldn't donate them to the developing world - and then seek out genuine answers to your questions because it could be a hugely beneficial option for thousands of people.