The City of London is hosting the capital’s first Tech-Takeback event this week, where workers and residents can declutter and drop off old and unwanted computers, phones and other gadgets, working or broken.

Tech-Takeback is a special ‘pop-up shop’ run by a team of dedicated IT and recycling experts.

It is a partnership between the City of London Corporation and Tech-Takeback founders: computer data erasure experts EraseMyData; free online reuse network, Freegle; and circular economy environment specialists, SOENECS.

It will take place on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 September between 10am and 5.30pm and Saturday 28th from 9.30am to 12pm at St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill.

Anyone with unwanted tech including PCs, tablets, laptops, cables, mobile phones, hard drives, USBs, CDs, DVDs, games consoles, digital cameras and sat navs can drop them off with the Tech-Takeback team. The items will then be professionally data erased by experts using a government compliant data-erasure service. If you live or work in the Square Mile, you can bring your home tech for free. If you are a business bringing work tech, you may be liable for a charge of £5 or £10 per device to erase the data on it.

Once checked and data-erased if appropriate, the tech is gifted to charities to either use or distribute, or given away on the online reuse network Freegle or to people less able to afford new tech.

If the equipment is beyond repair, it is dismantled, with its parts such as printed circuit boards and metals recycled and other materials repurposed.

Jeremy Simons, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Environment Committee, said:

“We want to help people declutter and dispose of their old equipment safely while supporting those less able to purchase new technology.

“We are giving City workers, residents and businesses new ways of disposing of their tired tech responsibly.

“Electronic waste is growing fast and affecting our planet. Through this partnership we are playing our part to in helping the City’s local community become more sustainable.”

Dr David Greenfield, co-founder of Tech-Takeback and managing director of SOENECS, said:

“Tech-Takeback not only allows people to get rid of their old tech lying around in drawers, cupboards and lofts. When the items are dropped off, anything with data on it will be expertly and professionally wiped for free.

“People will also be helping charities and others who cannot afford new tech, safe in the knowledge they are helping the planet.”

A variety of charities have already benefited from Tech-Takeback events, including the Sussex Homeless Support Charity, the Green Centre, The National Tech4Good Awards, The Bevy Community Pub, Artists at Boomtown Festival, Brighton Pride HQ, Screwed Sculptures, and the Library of Things. Further afield, tech has also been sent tech to the Little Trees Skills Training Centre in The Gambia, Africa.

Tech-Takeback is free to local residents, and those using Tech-Takeback will receive an e-mail confirming erasure of data-bearing tech. If a certificate of data erasure is required a charge of £5.00 per hard disk applies to cover the cost of use of government approved software and generation of certificate.

Businesses requiring Tech-Takeback’s data-erasure services should send an e-mail to techtakeback@gmail.com prior to attending. It is recommended that businesses have a certificate of data erasure.

Note to editors

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

During the previous four Tech-Takeback events held in Brighton, residents donated 8.91 tonnes, equivalent to 2.23 Billion grains of sand, of tech which massively helps in reducing the amount of E-waste going to landfill.

Tech-Takeback - the previous 5 pop-up shops have been visited by over 1,000 residents and a total of 4,768 items have been dropped off, including 915 smart and mobile phones, 566 laptops and tablets, 276 computers, 347 hard drives, 254 USB memory sticks and over 433 boxes of cables – all weighing in at 8.91 tonnes.

Erase My Data are experts in data erasure and can provide you with the confidence that we work to the highest industry standards that exceed the current best practice for handling data carrying assets

Freegle help people give and get things for free in their local community. Some people have stuff they don't want any more. Other people would like things they don't have. We match them up.

SOENECS provides strategic advice and support to the public and private sectors and specialises in the fields of waste management, resource management, climate change, circular economy, renewable deployment, carbon management and partnership delivery.

For further details, please contact:

Susanna Lascelles

City of London Corporation

Media Team

Tel: 07990 740 045