University partnership with DTP Group gives retired IT equipment a second life while supporting students, communities and UWE Bristol’s net-zero ambitions
Leeds, UWE Bristol has redistributed 118 laptops and desktops through a new IT Equipment Reuse Scheme, avoiding an estimated 21.9 tonnes of CO₂e and delivering more than £30,700 in social and financial value since its launch.
Developed in partnership with technology solutions provider DTP Group, the scheme extends the working life of university-owned devices by securely data wiping and refurbishing equipment that would otherwise have reached the end of its first use within the University.
The devices are then given a second life through three routes: providing free laptops to students experiencing financial hardship or who are care-experienced; selling refurbished technology to UWE Bristol students and staff at significantly reduced prices; and donating equipment to charities, schools and community organisations.
Launched on 10 April 2026, the initiative forms a core strand of UWE Bristol’s Responsible Procurement Policy and Circular Economy Plan 2024–2026, while directly supporting the University’s ambition to reach net zero.
Supporting students through UWE Cares
Each academic year, up to 75 refurbished laptops are donated to UWE Cares for distribution to students experiencing financial hardship or those who are care-experienced.
For the 2025/26 cohort, 75 HP EliteBook laptops were distributed, representing an estimated 12.75 tonnes of CO₂e avoided and providing students with up to £22,500 in equivalent device value at no cost.
Feedback from recipients has demonstrated the practical impact of the scheme. Among respondents, ease of collection achieved a rating of 5.0 out of 5, while suitability of the laptops for study was rated 4.67 out of 5. 100% of respondents said the initiative should continue.
Jo Dainton, Head of Circular Economy at UWE Bristol, commented, “The IT Reuse Scheme has been embedded in the IT supply contract for UWE, ensuring quality working devices at the end of their first life with UWE are wiped and reused rather than being recycled or disposed of. We’re proud to support our care-experienced students as well as making reused devices available for the wider UWE community”
Students also reported improvements across all five areas measured: note-taking in class, time available to study, ease of studying, home research and motivation.
One student said: “This has been incredibly helpful for me. I can now access anything I need to study.”
Making technology more affordable
The scheme is also making high-quality refurbished technology available to UWE Bristol students and staff at a significantly lower cost.
Since sales began on 11 April 2026, 29 devices have been purchased at prices typically 45–60% lower than the cost of an equivalent new device, delivering an estimated £4,080 in direct savings to buyers. To maintain equitable access, students can purchase one device and staff can purchase up to two. An additional 10% discount is available to staff on pay grade E or below.
One member of staff at the University said “Buying a laptop for my children has been a real game changer. Before, they didn’t have the right technology to do their homework at home, and I couldn’t let them use my work laptop. Having their own laptop has made such a difference, giving them the tools they need to learn at home and really helping with their academic progress.”
Extending the impact into communities
Technology that is not allocated through the student support or resale routes can also be donated to eligible community organisations.
To date, 12 laptops and two desktop workstations have been donated to external organisations, providing an estimated £4,138 worth of equipment at no cost to recipients.
Beneficiaries have included local community organisations as well as schools in Ghana and Gambia with direct links to UWE Bristol staff.
The scheme prioritises charities, community interest companies, schools and other non-profit organisations within a 50-mile radius of UWE Bristol, while allowing equipment to support projects further afield where there is a demonstrable connection with the University.
Cutting the carbon impact of IT
Alongside its social impact, extending the useful life of technology can prevent a significant amount of embodied carbon associated with manufacturing replacement devices.
Every device redistributed through the UWE Bristol scheme is estimated to avoid between 160 and 620 kg CO₂e, depending on the model.
Across the 118 devices redistributed to date, approximately 21.9 tonnes of CO₂e has been avoided – equivalent to roughly 88,000 km driven by an average car. The carbon savings comprise approximately:
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12.8 tonnes CO₂e from 75 laptops donated through UWE Cares
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6.2 tonnes CO₂e from the 29 devices sold to students and staff
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2.9 tonnes CO₂e from the 14 devices donated to external organisations
The initiative is tracked against four social value measures aligned with national frameworks: digital inclusion, cost savings to voluntary organisations, tonnes of CO₂e saved and innovative social value delivery.
Stuart Broadbent, Client Devices Director at DTP Group commented “Technology still has value long after its first life within an organisation has ended and UWE Bristol’s scheme is a great example of what can happen when that value is approached differently. What makes this initiative particularly powerful is that the impact goes beyond keeping devices in use for longer.”
More than £100,000 of annual value projected
Early results indicate that the impact of the programme could grow significantly.
Based on its first five weeks of operation, UWE Bristol estimates that the scheme is on track to sell approximately 320 devices each year and donate around 155 devices annually to external organisations, in addition to the annual allocation of 75 devices to UWE Cares.
At this trajectory, the initiative could avoid more than 80 tonnes of CO₂e every year and deliver in excess of £100,000 in combined social and financial value annually. UWE Bristol continues to expand its network of eligible community partners, enabling more retired university technology to remain in use while supporting students and communities.
Stuart Broadbent concludes, “The scheme puts good quality technology directly into the hands of students who need it, making devices more affordable for the wider UWE community and supporting charities and community organisations at the same time. The results from just the first few months demonstrate what a more circular approach to IT can achieve. By extending device lifecycles and measuring the carbon, financial and social value created, UWE Bristol is building a model that could have a lasting impact.”
The IT Equipment Reuse Scheme extends the working life of university-owned laptops and desktops. Devices are refurbished and securely data-wiped before being redistributed through student and staff sales, UWE Cares donations and donations to eligible charities, schools and community organisations. The initiative forms part of UWE Bristol’s Responsible Procurement Policy and Circular Economy Plan 2024–2026.
DTP Group is a UK technology solutions provider working with organisations across the public and private sectors. Its services span digital workplace technology, hybrid cloud and infrastructure, managed print and sustainable IT lifecycle services. Through its IT asset lifecycle services, DTP helps organisations securely manage retired technology, extend the useful life of IT equipment and support circular economy outcomes.
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