The National Device Bank is an initiative set up by Good Things Foundation to tackle digital exclusion by giving free refurbished devices to people in need. The National Device Bank is an alternative solution to IT asset disposal that tackles corporate e-waste and gets refurbished devices into the hands of people that can't afford their own. We have built a national hub that can take large donations of used digital devices from organisations in any sector, recycle or refurbish these, and distribute them to people without home internet access through our National Digital Inclusion Network. The National Device Bank is the sustainable solution to digital exclusion that helps people and the planet.

The National Device bank is a pioneering initiative which is helping to fix the digital divide in the UK and is contributing to a circular economy. We’re not only preventing new emissions from entering the atmosphere by keeping toxic materials out of the ground, but we’re also creating a more digitally inclusive society. So far, Good Things has collected devices from more than 35 organisations. We’ve been able to bring a range of organisations on board, ranging from businesses to public sector organisations like local authorities.

The National Device Bank is a digital leader in this category because it has helped to reduce 3,941, 191.4 CO2e emissions and 26,000+ kg of e-waste so far. You would have to plant 179,145 trees in order to prevent the same amount of CO2. At a time when Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, we’ve created a sustainable framework to tackle this.

Winning a Digital Leaders Award would not only recognise the National Device Bank's contribution to bridging the digital divide, but it would also raise awareness of the initiative among the digital community and potential partners. For the initiative to continue to grow, we need businesses to donate their used devices to us to give to digitally excluded people. Winning this award would help us to build the profile of the National Device Bank, helping us to secure more donations and enabling it to reach even more people.