Galway City Council’s ICT and Digital team has raised €5,445 for the Western Alzheimer Association – through the team’s innovative ‘reBoot - Tech Buy-Back Scheme’. The funds were presented this week, marking a successful initiative combining an aim for a more circular economy with digital literacy and inclusion.
Through the reBoot - Tech Buy-Back Scheme, IT equipment that is out of warranty, or otherwise no longer suitable for office use, is offered to staff for a nominal fee – with the funds raised going to the Western Alzheimer Association.
Elaine Naughton, Head of IT, Galway City Council, explained the origins of the initiative:
“Since Covid, we’ve seen a shift to a more ‘mobile-ready’ workforce, with staff using laptops both in the office and for remote working. This allowed us to phase out desktop computers – reducing costs and simplifying device management and maintenance. This also strengthens cybersecurity in Galway City Council – as with half the number of devices in use in the organisation, we’ve reduced the ‘attack landscape’ for a cybersecurity incident”.
As staff transitioned to a single mobile device, the ICT team were left with approximately 350 devices (monitors/desktops/laptops) in need of recycling or disposal.
Previously, for data security, ICT departments would hire a specialist company to shred data storage components of devices at the end of life, and then recycle or dispose of non-recyclable parts to landfill. However, with the encryption technology used on these devices it was possible to completely wipe all data – making them available for reuse in the home or at school.
“The frustrating reality for many ICT departments is the disposal of perfectly functional equipment that has become obsolete or not financially viable to maintain,” added Elaine Naughton. “While this equipment may not be suitable for office use, it is perfectly suitable for use in schools or the home, giving equipment a second life, and supporting access to digital literacy in Galway City.”
This led to the Galway City Council ICT team developing the ‘reBoot - Tech Buy-Back Scheme’ – where staff could buy functional, but out-of warranty equipment for a nominal fee. The remaining kit (70 PCs) was offered to local schools at no cost, in collaboration with the Galway City Council Environmental Education Officer.
One recipient, Gareth Callan, Deputy President, Coláiste Éinde welcomed the donation, saying, “Coláiste Éinde is delighted to acknowledge Galway City Council for its generous donation of second-life desktop PCs earlier this year.
These devices have been transformative for our school, enabling us to significantly upgrade our ICT infrastructure by removing outdated equipment; providing more reliable access to digital resources for both staff and students. With over 800 students in our school, meeting the growing demand for technology can be challenging; however, this sustainability initiative has allowed the equipment to be used daily across the school in an environmentally friendly way.
As a result, access to other ICT resources has improved for students, and we have been able to redirect funding toward additional hardware to further support teaching and learning.”
Mícheál Ó Marcacháin, from Coláiste na Coiribe commented, “On behalf of the staff and students of Coláiste na Coiribe I wish to say go raibh míle maith agat to GCC for your generous donation of PCs to our school. We have a constant need for more IT hardware and the machines that you donated to our school are in use every day, helping our students develop essential skills for the future. Your commitment to supporting education in our community is deeply appreciated.”
The initiative has resulted in an 80% reduction in the number of serviceable monitors, laptops and desktops being discarded.
Western Alzheimers Association was nominated by the ICT team to receive funds raised, with a number of ICT staff family members and parents affected by Alzheimers and Dementia.
Speaking at the cheque handover, Pat Holmes, CEO, Western Alzheimers Association, said, “We are so grateful to Elaine and her colleagues in the IT Department of Galway City Council for this fantastic initiative and to all staff in Galway City Council who were involved. The funds donated will be utilised in the provision of care to people living with dementia to support them in continuing to lead meaningful lives in their own homes and communities. It would not be possible to undertake this work without the support and generosity of organisations such as Galway City Council – thank you to all”.
The ‘reBoot - Tech Buy-Back Scheme’.is the first initiative of its type nationally, demonstrating how public sector innovation can support the circular economy and digital literacy in Galway City.