At Macnamara, we take decommissioning old equipment seriously. From a security perspective first and foremost, it’s vital that your company data is wiped securely. But that still leaves the physical hardware and the question of what to do with it.
One of the driving factors in our desire to recondition older laptops is the fact that so much e-waste is disposed of in an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ way. We’re all familiar with recycling and there are many organisations that will collect and recycle old electronic equipment. But what actually happens to it is often assumed. Much ‘recycled’ e-waste is in fact sent abroad and ends up being stripped of the metals and the rest buried in landfill or burned.
While most of the equipment we decommission is done because it has reached the end of it’s useful ‘business’ life, in many cases it can still be serviceable with a few modifications, such as re-installing with lighter Linux operating systems and other open source software.
But, even when it is re-purposed, we’ve always felt that it would be much nicer to know exactly where it’s going and what it will be used for. That’s why we partnered up with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation to deliver some of what comes our way to youth projects they work with, such as Grove Park Youth Centre in Lewisham, South London.
But, there’s so much more that can be done.
About Aarven
Meaning ‘friend of the people’, AARVEN is an ethical homeware and jewellery brand founded by two adventurers, inspired by our artisans around the globe. From wood block printed textiles, recycled brass jewellery, to hand woven baskets, we design our joyful collections in collaboration with the worlds best artisans.
Aarven works with over 30 small scale artisan crafts people in several countries in Africa as well as India, producing a wide variety of ethically sourced and produced homeware and jewellery. As much as 90% is designed in-house by Amy Fleuriot-Reade, with the designs taken to the creators by Bee who travels to personally meet them at source (Aarven was initially titled ‘Artisans & Adventurers’ reflecting the adventurer spirit of both founders).
The artisans are more often than not from relatively impoverished communities. For many, their only access to the internet is via old Android devices or by travelling to internet café’s. This can be time consuming and relatively expensive. By providing some laptop hardware, they can get better access to online portals (one of which Bee is involved in helping to develop) and can better communicate with Bee and other vendors to help them build their businesses.
“Many of our artisans and producer groups are too small to be able to afford official certification. We therefore always carry out our own in-person audits, following the 10 principles of Fair Trade, to ensure our high social and environmental standards are met. Our designs are all made using either natural or recycled materials.”
For more information about Aarven, see their website: Artisans & Adventurers – AARVEN Better still, if you’re in Margate, why not pay them a visit!
If you would like to know more about this project, or would like to get involved, get in touch.
