Everyone has one of those filled-to-the-brim drawers or shelves with old electronics. Maybe you have simply grown out of an old, less powerful laptop and bought something new but don’t have anyone to which to hand down the old one. What do you do? You could resell online and make a few bucks. But donating is also a great option, especially for simpler, less powerful, older model tech devices that aren’t in demand. They can make the world of difference for someone who doesn’t have access to tech.

ReBOOT Canada

There are organizations designed to facilitate the donation of used electronics to those in need. One such organization is reboot Canada, which provides equipment like computers, monitors, gently used keyboards, and mice to charities and non-profits in various locations across Canada, including Vancouver, BC and Toronto and Peterborough, ON. The organization says it receives more than 14,000 devices from community members every year, mainly businesses. Typically, donations are made by appointment to a specific location in your area: the location depends on if you want to donate fewer or more than 20 items, the latter ideal for businesses. Complete the necessary form, back-up your data and wipe and reset the device. You will even receive a tax-deductible receipt and, if requested, a certificate of data destruction for a $12 fee. Items accepted include TVs and other home theatre gear, cameras and camcorders, handheld electronics like GPS units and eReaders, phones, and printers/copiers. ReBOOT does not accept CRT monitors or TVs, medical devices, personal care devices, appliances, automotive parts, or furniture.

Goodwill

If reBOOT isn’t in your area, you can also look into the local Goodwill, as they might accept old electronics. Goodwill accepts both working and non-working electronics, provided they are under 50 lbs. and can be safely lifted by a single person. If it doesn’t work, simply label it as “non-working” when you drop it off, which helps save them time for employees who test each donated piece. They accept everything from cable boxes, modems, and routers to cameras, lenses, and equipment, cell phones and iPods, DVD, Blu-ray, and VHS players, iPads and tablets, laptops, computers, and accessories, printers and scanners, speakers and sound equipment, stereos, radio, and record players, smaller TV, and video game systems, games, and accessories. While some people don’t like that Goodwill resells items, the company also employs more than 1,200 people in its donation centres and other outlets, providing jobs and experience.

Let’s Get Together

Another organization to consider is Let’s Get Together, which has a call on its website for urgent donations needed for laptops as well as laptop parts and cables, desktops and monitors and parts, computer and gaming mice, and adapters. This can include used or broken devices, the latter of which will be either safely recycled or refurbished and circulated back into the community. The organization arranges TechCollect Drive events through various communities and school boards where the public can participate, so look into if there might be one in your area coming up soon. Let’s Get Together has previously partnered with companies like Raptors 905, Brampton Public Library, and the Toronto school board. The company has a hub location in Mississauga, ON where you can schedule a drop-off as well if you live close by. The organization offers erase services as well if you aren’t quite sure how to do it yourself. Find a detailed list of what’s accepted and what’s not accepted on the website.

Contact The Local School

Another option if you have a child currently in school is to discuss with the school board or principal about donating items personally. Most schools also have parent chat groups and you can offer your donation devices there to parents who might not have the means to purchase something like a Chromebook, phone, or tablet for their child. If you upgraded your child to a new Chromebook but the old one is still working fine (though might be slower and less powerful), check to see if there’s a child who could use one at home, or if there’s a way it could be approved for use at school for someone else or even as a shared device.

Check Your Local Area

A quick Google search for donating used electronics can yield a long list of organizations and places in your local area that accept donations of all types of goods, including electronics as well as others. A good resource to use is CharityWishList.ca, which allows you to search by province and city along with the type of item you want to donate to find a registered charity nearby. In my city, for example, there’s the Salvation Army Community & Family Services. In Vancouver, there’s the BC SPCA which is requesting donations of digital cameras to take photos of the animals, while in Halifax, Nova Scotia, there’s the Canadian Diabetes Association. You can also run a search for National Charities. For example, did you know that there’s an organization called Guitars for Vets where you can donate an extra guitar to help with a music rehabilitation program? You can also use the site to look for upcoming events where you might be able to donate in person.

Post Online

While you will need to do some vetting, you can also post items for donation on local buy/sell sites or marketplaces, like Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji. You have no way of knowing if the person buying really is in need or will turn around and resell your item for profit. But you can go by the honour system or your personal gut feeling. If you see someone post about having lost their job or living on social assistance, for example, you might want to reach out to say that you can help by providing a used computer, phone, or other tech goodie. Good deeds go a long way.

If your old electronics aren’t in working condition at all or simply have no value even as a donation, consider recycling them instead. In some cases, the tech might even have small trade-in value for useful parts, so you get money in your pocket and can ensure that it will be recycled safely.

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