New issue of ICT Update on refurbished computers: an opportunity not to be wasted

Specialist charities and businesses, and increasingly computer manufacturers, are taking old computers and shipping them out to organizations in developing countries whose budgets do not stretch to the latest models. Some, such as Computer Aid, collect donated computers, refurbish them, and then ship them directly to their partners. Others, such as Computers for Schools Kenya or SchoolNet Namibia, buy old PCs and refurbish them, and then pass them on to schools and colleges where they can last another three or four years.

These old computers give valuable technology skills to schoolchildren, help train teachers and healthcare workers, allow rural communities to communicate with each other and can even increase the farmers' incomes. But these old machines cannot last forever. They eventually get to a point where they are too slow or worn out to upgrade. What happens to them then?

The unfortunate reality is that many old computers are dumped, not in the countries where they originated, but in developing countries that do not yet have the skills, technical facilities, or appropriate legislation to ensure the safe disposal of the many hazardous materials they contain. One solution might be to charge a fee for every computer sent to a developing country to pay for it to be shipped back at the end of its working life. This could work like the recent European legislation (the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive) which aims to make manufacturers more responsible for collecting, treating and recovering electronic waste, and to combat the problem of what to do with old computers. This could prevent some countries being used as dumps for 'e-waste', as has happened in China and India, and increasingly in Nigeria and Mexico.

But considering that refurbished computers still cost money to buy, and to run, perhaps it would be a better option if developing countries were to invest in new machines? There are now several schemes to provide low-cost computers to developing economies. The One Laptop per Child project has designed an inexpensive, durable laptop specifically for use in schools. The Simputer, developed in India, attempts to offer a portable alternative to the PC, while big-name technology producers, such as Lenovo and Intel, are also developing their own versions of affordable computers. Even smartphones - with internet, text, video and audio technology - could substitute for desktop computers, particularly in dry, dusty environments.

In many ACP countries it is likely that both new and refurbished PCs will be needed to meet the steadily rising demand. It remains to be seen exactly how long it will take the developing world to acquire a sufficient supply of reliable computers, but think how far Europe and the US have come in just ten years. It is now unheard of for schools not to have computers. Will Africa have achieved the same success ten years from now?

The latest issue of the ICT Update Magazine covers these and many more aspects of refurbished computers.

Feature articles:

Raising school standards SchoolNet Namibia has developed a computer lab that can be installed in any school in the country. This helps to simplify the training and technical support process.

New crops from old PCs Refurbished computers provide internet and e-learning to rural communities in Uganda. Farmers there have increased crop production and their annual income.

Clean up campaign Tackling e-waste. Steps are already being taken in Trinidad and Tobago to make sure discarded computers don't end up in landfill sites and become and environmental hazard.

Read the stories in ICT Update: http://ictupdate.cta.int/
Also available in French: http://ictupdate.cta.int/fr