It is a small organization that runs solely on volunteer and donations. The organization's goal is to recycle as many computers as possible, fix them to operational state, and put them into the hands of those who can not afford to get one.
While recent developments saw more and more people gaining access to personal computers, there are still a lot more individuals around the globe that does not have such privileges.
Of those people who can afford to get a computer, many of them chose to discard the existing unit when there is a newer, better computer released into the market. These discarded computers, when incinerated during the process of garbage disposal, produces toxin and carcinogens that are both harmful to human health and the environment. Regulation in several parts of Canada sets a few standards in the effort to recycle these computers, categorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as "hazardous household waste". But processes in recycling the materials used in computer also produces toxin, especially the recycling of plastic.
What may be done to solve the two problems? The answer is, refurbishing. Before the discarded computers are put into recycling process, fix them and give it to someone who really needs a computer.
Side Note:
Even though current up-to-date computers are packed with tremendous capabilities, the most simple and everyday tasks does not even require a tenth of that computing power. Tasks such as editing text, surfing internet, and sending e-mails are almost second nature to people who are constantly in touch with computer, and it can all be accomplished by a computer only less than a tenth as capable as the current average commercial computers.
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