Bridging the Digital Divide with Sustainability: Reuse of Landfill-Bound Computers in Education

According to World Health Organization data, in 2019, approximately 53 million tons of e-waste were generated globally, with 41 million computers facing landfill disposal each year. This significant environmental issue highlights the urgent need for sustainable solutions that surpass current practices. Furthermore, data from the World Bank indicates that 700 million people worldwide live on less than ∃2 per day, many of whom lack access to educational computers and technological resources. Providing these individuals with educational computers could offer a viable pathway out of poverty. Despite this, there has been limited research into repurposing discarded computers for educational use. Our innovative research aims to address both of these pressing issues simultaneously, offering a novel approach to converting landfill-bound computers into valuable educational tools. Research has highlighted the benefits of Thin Client technology in education. Prior studies have shown the effective use of Thin Clients using new devices like Chromebooks and Raspberry Pi, but have not explored repurposing obsolete computers. Our innovative approach bridges this gap by transforming end-of-life computers into valuable educational resources for low-income families, thereby extending their lifespan by 5 to 8 years. This innovative concept was originally proposed and tested by the four co-founders of GrowChild nonprofit—Tariq, Astin, Charles, and Yong—and was subsequently adopted by the Humanitarian Engineering and Computing (HEC) minor and the Humanitarian Youth Preparation for Electronics Education (HYPE) student organization at Miami University. Our methodology includes sustainable hardware reuse, installing compatible operating systems, and providing detailed training. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, leading to the successful donation of 100 refurbished computers to low-income students and local schools in Ohio in the past year, a 400% increase from the previous year.