May we please ask under FOI for details about old technology and what is currently happening with the old technology at your organisation:
1) In particular, how many computer users there are at your
organisation in total, where the old computer and other technology and electronic items are going when they are replaced by newer items and what percentage is going to help those in the local UK community that can not afford computers?
The number of employees can be found via this previous request, as they will practically all be ‘computer users’ to a degree.
Disposal procedures for various technology and electronic items are held on the Devon County Council website.
Stone Computers securely handle disposal of IT assets and data.
We do not hold any information regarding computers “going to help those in the local UK community that cannot afford computers”.
2.) Our previous FOI and researched showed that many public organisations sell their old tech to scrap companies and the markets for old tech scrap are generally abroad for scrap contractors used by council and other large organisations including schools with one scrap company alone stating that they export over 50,000 computer items per month. Therefore, may we please ask for the information/data on your plans to comply with the UK climate change act and deal with scope 3 emissions from transport during the export of containers overseas?
Devon County Council’s approach to compliance with the UK Climate Change Act and intended achievement of net zero greenhouse gas emissions is set out in its Carbon Reduction Plan 2020-2030, which is available on the Devon County Council website This includes general consideration of supply chain (Scope 3) emissions, but omits any detail relating to specific goods/services and related contracts.
May we also ask for any data held regarding emissions and particular scope 3 emissions relating to old technology from your organisation.
Data relating to Devon County Council greenhouse gas emissions is contained in the Carbon Reduction Plan document which is linked to above. The supply chain carbon footprint is currently calculated using nationally published carbon-intensity factors for different categories of purchasing rather than asking each of the thousands of suppliers to submit data to the council. On this basis, no specific emissions figures relating to old technology are available, but are taken into account through the calculations linked to the relevant supply chain contracts.
3) May we also please ask, what you currently have in terms of outdated, unplugged, or unused no longer needed laptops, computers, or other electronics in your storage that we can collect for our long-standing local-focused UK solution that helps homeless youth in need, care leavers, pensioners who can not afford a computer, refugees and others disadvantaged people?
We typically strip returned/broken devices for useable components and utilise these parts to maintain our existing stock of working devices. The remaining non-functional components are disposed of in line with Devon County Council disposal policy and WEEE regulations.
4.) If the Council has recently changed its policy to allow local reuse and access to local organisations to its old still usable tech, may we please ask: how can we also be added to this list of organisations that the equipment to ‘offered to before disposal’ and receive equal treatment as those organizations?
N/A.
5.) If the Council has a listing of organisations on its website that can collect old still usable items for the UK community we would appreciate equal treatment and kindly request to be added to that list.
N/A.