Our Mission

Our mission is to substitute the energy and resources that go into making computers with human resource to eliminate waste of people and planet.

ReCognition Circular exists to tackle digital exclusion and eWaste

With skills and training, digitally excluded individuals can contribute to making IT more sustainable and to making their lives more fulfilling. We recognise that by working in the right circles we can make a difference to people, to planet and to the communities we live in.

Waste is at the root of many of our most pressing social and environmental issues. Climate change, social exclusion, biodiversity loss, youth unemployment, the scarcity of resources to power the green transition are all symptoms of an economic system that treats resources as things to be consumed and then disposed of.

We think the time for change is now. The place for change is the community. Everyone can make a difference.

Where we Can Make an Impact

Climate Change and E-Waste

Producing computers and mobile devices is highly resource intensive. Dozens of different metals and minerals need to be mined to make the components that go into our devices. This is why producing a single laptop uses over 190,000 litres of water, generates over 300kgsCO2e and requires 1,200kg of rock and soil to be moved. Yet, we treat these devices as disposable. At 23.4kg per capita, the UK is the world’s second largest producer of e-waste.

The circular economy is about managing resources more intelligently. Keeping them in use at their highest value for as long as possible is the key to inclusive economic prosperity that doesn’t harm the planet.

Instead of extracting and consuming more resource and energy, we use skills and know-how to create value by reusing and extending the service life of computers and mobile devices through repair and refurbishment.

This is what a sustainable and equitable business model looks like.

Social and Digital Exclusion

The wind, the sun, or the tides are the things that usually come to mind when thinking about renewable energy. Human labour is an equally important source of renewable energy. Energy from people is not only renewable, but it can also be improved through education, training and experience.

Despite historically low levels of unemployment, many people face barriers that prevent them from working. Children from families who can’t afford digital devices and don’t have computers, tablets or accessible internet at home will be disadvantaged in acquiring the right skills for today’s digital economy.

Since the start of the Covid19 pandemic over half a million Britons have dropped out of the workforce. This waste of human resource has huge costs. Costs to individuals in terms of their self-esteem, their economic and their physical health. Costs to society at large in terms of lost productivity, and in terms of increased healthcare and welfare costs.

The idea behind ReCognition is to capture some of this wasted resource. We can substitute the 190,000 litres of water and the 1,100 kWh of energy that go into making a computer with human resource. With skills and training, individuals currently excluded from the workforce will be capable of repairing and refurbishing IT equipment. Using this human energy to keep devices in use for as long as possible means we avoid eWaste. It also means fewer resources need to be extracted to make new devices to replace them. We reduce GHG emissions and associated biodiversity loss.

Our Goal – Stop Resources Being Wasted

25% of people in the West Midlands aged 16-25 don’t have access to a computer or tablet at home. A lack of digital skills put them at a significant disadvantage. By providing individuals who face digital barriers with skills and training in repairing and refurbishing IT equipment we can avoid waste of material, natural and human resources. The natural resources and energy that went into making our computers can be kept in use for as long as possible, reducing GHG emissions and environmental damage. Underutilised human potential can be realised. New skills and the opportunity to use them will give individuals financial independence and renewed purpose.

ReCognition Circular – Where we Can Make a Difference

25% of children and young people (16-25) in the West Midlands lack access to a computer or tablet at home

Everyone participating in our programmes will receive their own device. They will learn the skills needed to repair devices, so they can help to bring the communities they live in out of digital poverty.

20% of West Midlands households have no access to the Internet

Working with partners we want everyone in our region to have access to free or low-cost Internet

Poverty is a key driver of digital exclusion. Too many households are unable to afford access to devices or Internet

Without digital skills, individuals find it difficult to get the jobs they need to take them out of poverty. We help them to bridge this gap and take the first steps they need to get fulfilling and well paid work.

Over half of adults (56%) in the region lack the fundamental digital skills required for the workforce

In addition to basic digital skills, being able to repair and refurbish electronic equipment are valuable skills that are in short supply. We want to work with partners that can provide work experience and other opportunities for the people we work with to give them a hand up.

38% of employers in the West Midlands say they find digital skills difficult to obtain from applicants

This is throttling our local economy. By helping to close the skills gap we can help businesses to improve their productivity and financial performance. We help the regional economy to thrive.

Resource extraction is responsible for over half of climate change impacts and 80% of biodiversity loss.

The way we consume IT currently is unsustainable. A smartphone contains 72 out of the 118 elements in the periodic table, many of these such as copper and lithium are critical for the green transition. By extending the service life of computers and mobile devices we help to slow resource extraction and therefore to reduce climate change and biodiversity loss.

1.5m tonnes of e-Waste including computers and mobile devices is created in the UK every year

UK businesses retain their computers for only 5 years on average. There are over 2 unused devices for every person in Britain, yet there are over 8 million people in the country that don’t have access to any device at all. This isn’t sustainable and it isn’t fair. We’re here to do something about it.