Donate a Laptop to Charity

You can donate a laptop, tablet or phone to Recycle4Charity — working or not — and we'll securely wipe every device before giving it a second life with a digitally-excluded Londoner. Donations can be dropped off, posted using a free Freepost label, or collected. Your data is fully erased; your device reaches someone who needs it.

How to donate a laptop to charity

Donating a device to Recycle4Charity takes a few minutes. Choose the option that works for you:

  1. Drop off — bring your device to [our address] during opening hours
  2. Freepost — request a pre-paid label below, pack your device securely and post it
  3. Collection — if you have multiple devices, contact us to arrange a pickup

You don’t need to wipe your device first — we handle that. Removing personal files before handover is a sensible precaution, but our secure data destruction process ensures all data is fully erased regardless of what you do beforehand.

Is my data wiped before the device is reused?

Every donated device is securely wiped to recognised data destruction standards before it is assessed for reuse, refurbished or passed on to a recipient. This is the same certified erasure process used for business IT disposal — not a quick factory reset, but a thorough process that leaves no recoverable data. Read our guide to how to wipe a laptop before donating for more on what secure erasure involves.

What devices we accept (working or not)

We accept:
– Laptops and MacBooks — any brand, any condition
– Tablets — iPads, Android tablets, Surface devices
– Smartphones — iPhone, Android, any make
– Desktop computers — contact us first

Devices should ideally be no more than [X] years old, but contact us even if yours is older — we assess every device individually. Broken, cracked or non-starting devices are welcome: if they cannot be refurbished, they are responsibly recycled through licensed WEEE channels rather than going to landfill.

We do not currently accept printers, monitors, TVs or other household appliances through the donate route. Businesses can book an IT collection for these via our For Business page.

Where your donated device goes

Donated devices that pass our refurbishment check are given free to digitally-excluded Londoners — people who cannot afford a device to access work, education, benefits, healthcare and social connection. Recipients include:

  • Isolated older people who have never been online, or who lost their device and cannot replace it
  • Refugees and asylum seekers navigating services and language learning
  • Low-income families where children share a single phone for schoolwork
  • People leaving homelessness or crisis support who need a device to rebuild employment

Devices reach recipients through Recycle4Charity’s partner organisations — charities, schools, refugee organisations and community groups that also provide the digital skills support to make a device genuinely useful.

Devices that cannot be refurbished are recycled through licensed WEEE channels — nothing goes to landfill. See our impact in numbers.

Recycle your old phone for charity

If you have a mobile phone to donate, see our dedicated recycle your mobile phone for charity page — phones can be posted using a free Freepost label at no cost to you.

Ready to donate? Choose a method above or fill in the form and we’ll be in touch. Donate a device →

Frequently asked questions

To donate a laptop to Recycle4Charity, choose one of three options: drop it off at our location, request a free Freepost label to post it, or book a pickup. We handle the rest — secure data wiping, testing and refurbishment — and the device goes to a Londoner in need.

Yes — every donated device is securely wiped to recognised standards before it is used or passed on. You do not need to wipe it yourself. We recommend removing personal files if possible, but our process ensures data is fully erased regardless.

We accept laptops, tablets, smartphones and desktop computers. Devices should ideally be no more than [X] years old, but contact us even if yours is older — we assess each device individually and responsibly recycle anything that cannot be refurbished.

Yes — we accept broken, cracked or non-functioning devices as well as working ones. Devices that cannot be refurbished are responsibly recycled through licensed WEEE channels, so nothing goes to waste or landfill.

Donated laptops are refurbished and given free to digitally-excluded Londoners — including isolated older people, low-income families, refugees and young people who need a device for education or work — through Recycle4Charity's partner network of charities, schools and community groups across the city.

Both options are available. You can drop off devices at our location, post them using a free Freepost label, or arrange a pickup if you have multiple devices. Contact us to confirm the best option for your situation.