Donor Declaration & Legal Basis for Reuse

Our Approach to Donated Equipment

recycling.charity collects unwanted laptops and electronic equipment from businesses and individuals for the purpose of repair, refurbishment, and reuse. We operate on the basis that donated items transferred with a clear intent for reuse are not classified as waste under UK environmental law, and therefore do not enter the waste stream at the point of donation.

This position is grounded in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, which define “waste” as any substance or object that the holder discards, intends to discard, or is required to discard. Where a donor expressly transfers equipment for reuse — not disposal — the item does not meet this definition at the point of handover.

What We Ask of Donors

To maintain this legal position and protect both donors and our CIC, we ask all donors to confirm the following at the point of donation:

1. Ownership or authority — You own the items, or are authorised by your organisation to donate them.
2. Intent for reuse — You are donating the items specifically so they can be repaired, refurbished, and reused — not as a means of disposing of waste.
3. Not previously discarded — The items have not already entered a waste stream (e.g. they have not been placed in a skip, bin, or collected by a waste contractor).
4. Honest condition disclosure — You have disclosed any known faults or damage to the best of your ability.

These declarations are captured via our Collection Slip, signed at the point of handover, and retained by us as a record.

Data Security & Destruction Certification

All storage media (hard drives, SSDs) are securely wiped to an NCSC-approved standard before any device leaves our premises, whether for resale, donation, or recycling. Any drives that cannot be securely wiped are physically removed and destroyed in accordance with NCSC Secure Sanitisation guidance and UK GDPR requirements under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Our data sanitisation practices are guided by the following standards:

• NCSC Secure Sanitisation of Storage Media — the UK’s primary authority on data erasure and physical destruction, requiring particles of 6mm or less for physical destruction
• UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018 — requiring that personal data is rendered permanently irrecoverable when no longer needed
• WEEE Regulations 2013 (as amended) — governing the lawful disposal of removed drives as electronic waste via authorised treatment facilities
• NIST SP 800-88 — the internationally recognised standard for media sanitisation, covering overwriting, degaussing, and physical destruction

Because wiping takes place after collection, we operate a two-stage process:

• At collection: Our Collection Slip confirms receipt of your device and our commitment to secure data destruction.
• After wiping: We issue a formal Data Destruction Certificate specific to your device, confirming the date of destruction, the device serial number, and the standard applied.

Donors requiring a Data Destruction Certificate should provide an email address on the Collection Slip. Certificates are typically issued within 5–10 working days of collection.

What Happens to Items That Cannot Be Reused

Where an item cannot be repaired or refurbished for reuse, it will be passed to a licenced WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) recycler. No donated equipment is sent to landfill. At the point an item is determined to be beyond reuse, it is classified as WEEE and handled in full compliance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013.

Contact & Questions

If you have any questions about how we handle donated equipment, our legal obligations, or data security, please contact us below.

recycling.charity is a trading name of DF Giving Back Community Interest Company (CIC No. 15742607), registered as a Community Interest Company in England and Wales.