Essex County Council has launched a laptop recycling scheme to help children who have found it hard to keep up with their school work at home during lockdown due to lack of access to the necessary technology.
The Council has partnered up with End of Life IT Services (EOL), based in Maldon, to take old devices from the Council offices, partners and staff, and recondition them, sell them and then use the residual value to purchase Google Chromebooks for children in Essex who need them.
Devices from the Council and its staff were prioritised as the first ‘pilot’ of the model and EOL have processed the first batch of donated laptops (500) – the reconditioned laptops or their residual financial value is 100% redirected into devices for ECC children.
Essex County Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Families, and Brentwood Hutton Division councillor, Louise McKinlay said:
"Our education colleagues quickly identified colleges as a place requiring the most support, as they are the education establishments offering a consistent blended learning offer - 160 Chromebooks were sent out to colleges on Monday 9th November. Most colleges have already provided loan devices to those families they have identified as requiring support but will be using our devices to replace those as a permanent solution.
"Phase 2 of the programme involves asking the public and businesses for donations, but during the current lockdown we are not able to take individual donations from the public due to the COVID-19 restrictions. There is however an opportunity over the next few weeks for people who are at home to clear out their cupboards/lofts and get together stock for donation for when lockdown ends."
The scheme will be relaunched at the beginning of December when the national lockdown ends, but if you have an old laptop to recycle into the scheme, please keep an eye out on this website and the Essex County Council website at www.essex.gov.uk for details of where you can take it once the scheme reopens next month.