Donate your laptop

Digitisation has been advancing quickly, and not just since the Covid pandemic. As an online retailer, we’re experiencing this development first-hand. Every year we sell thousands of laptops and cell phones. Yet there are still people who can’t afford a computer. Together with the «Wir lernen weiter» association, we want to change this and make sure that your laptop won’t end up in a trash heap. You now have the option to return your used laptop to digitec stores.

 

The Internet, email and social media have long been part of our everyday lives. Gone are the days when we applied for a new job by letter or filled several binders’ worth during our studies. Today, thanks to digitalisation, many things work faster and easier. But for job seekers, migrants and families living on or below the breadline in particular, digitisation poses major challenges. It’s a vicious circle. Without money, there’s no computer, and without a computer, finding work is almost impossible. The situation is also enormously difficult for children living in poverty. Without computers and Internet access, they’re excluded from certain aspects of education and fall behind. 

Dedicated crew give old laptops a new life

It’s absurd: used laptops often end up in electronic recycling or – worse yet – gathering dust in a drawer, despite the discarded devices still being fully functional. The association «Wir lernen weiter» wants to change that. The crew are dedicated to one mission: ensuring access to the digital world isn’t an income-related privilege, but a basic right for all. Since the association was founded in April 2020, the crew have collected several thousand laptops, refurbished and distributed them to those most in need. After all, digitisation won’t slow down post-Covid, either.

The «Wir lernen weiter» project has been a success, having established partnerships with over 500 municipalities and other organisations in Switzerland. The team, which consists of three employees and numerous volunteers, take care of preparing the computers, collaborating with partners and assessing need. This ensures that each laptop goes to someone who couldn’t otherwise afford it. The team’s commitment is unabated. «Wir lernen weiter» is convinced that ensuring universal access to computers and the Internet is socially and economically beneficial for Switzerland. For instance, if job seekers can’t send in applications due to a lack of equipment, they remain unemployed longer – at great cost to the social sector. Not to mention that, as stated by the association, reusing laptops is good for the environment. By distributing 3,000 laptops, the team have already avoided seven and a half tonnes of e-waste.

Your old laptop opens doors

If you think your old device is no good, you should take a look at the modest minimum requirements the association has listed on its website. With a minimum of just 4 GB of RAM and an undamaged display, your old laptop can do a lot of good in its second life. So if you’re happily setting up your new notebook right now, pick up your old device and donate it to «Wir lernen weiter». 

You can register your device >> here <<. Once your registration has been reviewed and approved, it’s up to you: either send in your laptop directly to «Wir lernen weiter» or conveniently drop it off at one of ten digitec stores. What a wonderful way to make someone else happy about your new (old) laptop!