• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Wednesday July 20 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Hat-trick of business awards for tech recycling firm Green Machine

Tech recycling firm Green Machine has scored a hat-trick of award wins, recognising the part it played in helping kids learn remotely during the pandemic school closures of 2021.

Following its Flying the Flag for Swindon and Wiltshire award at regional tech industry awards The Techies, and its Outstanding Contribution to the Community award at the national Great British Business Awards, Green Machine began the summer with The Commitment to the Community Award at Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Green Machine was established in 2011 with the goal of diverting hazardous IT equipment away from landfill and benefitting the local community at the same time.

The team collects devices from large corporations who need to be certain that their data is securely wiped from their machines. Once all data has been removed, Green Machine then repairs, refurbishes, and donates over 50 per cent of those devices to schools, charities, and non-profit organisations.

The rest are sold at a low cost to help fund training and apprenticeships for their staff.

In 2021 the firm launched its Tech Amnesty campaign to get refurbished technology into the homes of school children who were struggling to keep up with their studies during the lockdowns.

In the last financial year, Green Machine Computers donated more than 600 electronic devices to people in need, including Afghan refugees, Ukrainian refugees, domestic abuse survivors, school children in the UK and in Africa, families in poverty, and local non-profits working to protect the environment.

Green Machine reduces pollution by reusing perfectly functional hardware. Each desktop computer refurbished by Green Machine lowers carbon emissions by around 150kgs. In addition, by reusing the core components found in technology, the company reduces the need for gold mining and other hazardous processes for extracting natural resources.

And the environmentally-conscious company uses the recycling and refurbishment processes to train individuals in their local area. Many of their employees come from disadvantaged backgrounds and were introduced to Green Machine through various charitable organisations such as the Army’s Careers Transition Program and the Newbury Community Resource Centre, which supports adults with learning difficulties.

But Green Machine founder Simon Crisp says his work is far from over.

“There are still around two million homes in the UK that don’t have easy access to a computer. In a technological age, those without IT equipment have a significant disadvantage.

“Access to current technology is no longer a privilege, but a necessity, and digital poverty is still a real problem,” he said.

The firm is based in Ramsbury, Wiltshire, but can collect corporate WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) from anywhere in the UK. Data is safe, and your unwanted IT will be reused by somebody in need.

The firm also has donation drop off sites across Wiltshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. To find your local donation point, visit their website: www.greenmachinecomputers.com/techamnesty