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Good practice Imported

Donation of recycled IT equipment by regional and local administrations to non-profit organizations

Belgium · Brussels · Regional · See the Belgium profile

The Brussels Government allowed all ministers and institutions of the Region to donate their own depreciated and downgraded IT equipment free of charge. This equipment is made operational again and distributed via a number of non-profit organisations to pupils and students experi

Donation of recycled IT equipment by regional and local administrations to non-profit organizations

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
CIRB - CIBG - BRIC — website
Type
Policy
Status
Ongoing
Target groups
Marginalised young people and children, Elderly people, Migrants, People with disabilities, Unemployed and those facing social problems
Period
2020-03-08
Region (NUTS)
BE10
Keywords
refurbished, IT, computers, recycling

Context

According to a report by the King Baudouin Foundation, four in ten Belgians are at risk of digital exclusion, with almost one in three low-income households lacking an internet connection and 40% of the population (rising to 75% among people with low income and low education) reporting low digital skills.

Objectives

The Brussels-Capital Region enabled all regional ministers and institutions to donate their depreciated and downgraded IT equipment free of charge, to be refurbished and redistributed to people at risk of digital exclusion.

Activities

The Brussels Regional Informatics Centre (BRIC/CIRB) coordinates the initiative: it collects, refurbishes and distributes the donated equipment via non-profit organisations to pupils and students facing social difficulties, and to retirement and nursing homes across the Brussels-Capital Region.

Conclusions

The programme illustrates a public-private collaboration model: centralising collection, refurbishment and distribution through the Digital Inclusion Office made the process easier and more effective than donor-by-donor giving, and recycling equipment is presented as a more sustainable and affordable alternative to buying new PCs.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Low (< €50k) — Uses regional institutions' existing depreciated/downgraded IT equipment rather than new procurement, refurbished for reuse.
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years) — Ongoing since at least 2020, run as a continuous donation-and-refurbishment cycle.
Staffing & skills
Brussels Regional Informatics Centre (BRIC/CIRB) coordination team, Regional Digital Inclusion Office

Conditions for success

  • Centralised collection, refurbishment and distribution coordinated by one regional body (BRIC) rather than ad hoc donor-by-donor giving
  • Cross-government participation: all regional ministers and institutions contribute depreciated equipment
  • Distribution via established non-profit partners already serving target populations (schools, retirement/nursing homes)

Where it fits

Governance type
regional government (Brussels-Capital Region)
Scale
regional
Income level
high-income country, targeting low-income/digitally excluded residents

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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