RECOSI - refurbishing ICT products for re-use

WEEE
Type of organisation or company
Country
EU
Language for original content
Submitted by
Technopolis Group
Ongoing
Yes
Description

RECOSI (Regional and European Co-Operative for Social Industry) is a social franchise focusing on the reuse and refurbishment of ICT equipment (PCs, laptops, monitors and tablets) and WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment). Its mission is to encourage employment of marginalised people, to support the environment through reuse and to close the digital divide.

RECOSI supplies high-quality refurbished ICT products to schools, non-profit organisations, SMEs, students and other end users, who have limited access to IT or want to save money. RECOSI is headquartered in Ireland and offers its services across Europe and the US. The company sells on high-quality refurbished laptops, desktops and IT equipment sourced from global corporations and government departments throughout Europe.

RECOSI established a strategic partnership with Techsoup Global which supports NGOs with software and through their network in Slovenia and Italy already supplies high-quality hardware.

Main results
  • RECOSI has been fully operational since 2014 and in this time has reused more than 150 000 pieces of ICT equipment
  • To date, it has employed 25 people (a third of them disadvantaged) and has bases in Ireland, the US and Slovenia
  • RECOSI’s refurbishment actions have avoided 21 million kg of CO2 emissions.