PHLDonateTech

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City has recognized that many families and residents need access to devices. As people stay home, individuals without access to devices lack the tools they need to get essential services, learn, work, and connect with families and friends.

The City is partnering with Retrievr, an on-demand clothing and electronic recycling company; DoneWithIt, a secure electronics and recycling program from TERRA that allows individuals to mail in used devices; and several local refurbishers which include the Electronic Access Foundation (EAF), the NERDiT Foundation, TDIConnect, and the Temple University Computer Recycling Center (CRC). These organizations have been helping communities recycle and refurbish equipment safely and securely during the pandemic and bring years of experience to this project.

There are different ways to donate devices:

• Get your devices picked up
  • Individuals or businesses can visit retrievr.com or text the word PICKUP to 757-70-FETCH (757-703-3824) to get started. Retrievr’s easy-to-use system walks you through how to identify what you are donating and select your collection date. Retrievr will then do a contactless pickup of your items, and deliver reusable devices to the NERDiT Foundation. NERDiT will refurbish your devices and provide them to nonprofits, who will distribute them to people in need.
  • Pickups that include laptops and desktops will have the general Retrievr pickup fee waived and these items will be picked up for free.

• Mail in your devices
  • For Philadelphians who live far and wide, visit http://DoneWithIt.org/phldonatetech. You can easily select an option to securely donate a laptop and tablet. Once you fill out the form, DoneWithIt will email you a pre-paid mailing label that you can attach to any box or packing materials in decent condition you have at home. Drop it off at any UPS location. All materials go directly to a secure, Certified R2 recycling facility that meets strict criteria for data destruction.
  • For those within a 50 mile radius of Philadelphia, shipping costs will be fully covered.  Once DoneWithIt receives the devices and wipes their data, it will provide all useable equipment to our PHLDonateTech partner Electronic Access Foundation to refurbish the devices and provide them to nonprofits who will distribute them to people in need.

• Request a bulk pick up of your devices

Are you a small, medium or large business, nonprofit or other entity in the greater Philadelphia region that’s ready to refresh its office equipment? Individuals or organizations that donate 26 devices or more will fill out  EAF’s online form and EAF will pick up the equipment for free. EAF can provide donors with a certificate that they followed the industry’s data security and refurbishment standards. EAF will work with Temple’s CRC to refurbish equipment and provide them to Philadelphia nonprofits to distribute the devices to people in need.

Donating to the Community Device Fund

• If an individual or organization doesn’t have equipment to donate right now, then they can still help families get devices. Individuals and businesses can make a monetary donation dedicated to PHLDonateTech via the Philadelphia City Fund by clicking the “support this project” button above. Donations will help get devices into the hands of those who need them. Contributions to the Community Device Fund will support refurbishers and nonprofits.

Once devices are refurbished and ready to use, residents will receive the devices for free.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Who are the Recycling and Refurbishing Partners?

Electronic Access Foundation (EAF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established for the purpose of donating surplus electronic equipment to other qualified charitable organizations in need. EAF obtains donations through partnership with corporations, universities, and organizations by offering them an alternative to recycling of their surplus electronic equipment including; desktops, laptops, servers, tablets, cell phones, flat screens & more! As a member of AFTRR.org, we address and support the elimination of the digital divide for underserved communities.

The NERDiT Foundation is the 501(c)(3) sister organization of NERDiT NOW with the mission to close the digital divide. They believe that everyone should have the right to technology and to be afforded the opportunity to learn how technology can truly make an impact for us all. Since 2015, NERDiT Foundation has donated over 100 refurbished computers, each year, and over 3000 units this year alone due to COVID, to our communities. The NERDs also offer free technical support to the recipients of the donated technology.

Retrievr offer easy, on-demand doorstep collection and recycling for electronics and clothing. To schedule a pick up of our devices (25 or less), go to retrievr.com or text the work PICKUP to 757-70-FETCH (757-703-3824).

Temple University Computer Recycling Center (CRC) is an award winning operation that gathers surplus computer and electronic equipment from around the university, refurbishes that equipment if possible, redeploys the equipment where appropriate, donates any excess usable equipment and, where appropriate, disposes unusable equipment in a secure manner.

TERRA/ Done with IT program helps close the digital divide by collecting devices for refurbishment and reuse. The program is a simple, secure, and sustainable. Through their mail-in, onsite and business services, TERRA is helping to eliminate toxic electronic waste (e-waste) from contaminating the air, land and water and promoting a circular economy by diverting used electronics to the care of e-Stewards and/or R2 Certified Recyclers. Certified Recyclers offer the only solution to manage the growing e-waste crisis and maximize the reuse and recycling of natural resources.

TDI Connect refurbishes computers and laptops donated by companies and schools and distributes the computers to individuals and groups who do not currently have internet access.

How will my data be protected if I donate my equipment?

The partners have provided information about their data security measures.

Retrievr protects your personal information through a secure chain of custody and by completely wiping or shredding hard drives and other data devices. Devices that are eligible for use in the PHLDonateTech program will be sequestered until passed to NERDiT Now, who follows data security handling processes validated by third-party audits to refurbish devices. Devices not eligible for PHLDonateTech will be securely sanitized at our warehouse and then responsibly recycled. Certificates of data destruction are available upon request.

NERDiT NOW is in the process of becoming R2 certified. They will safely and properly handle all data that is within their custody. They run data sanitation programs on each drive to ensure that it has support for 24 sanitation standards including DoD 5220.22M and NIST 800-88. This simply means that all data is erased prior to leaving their facility.

As a member of AFTRR.org, Electronic Access Foundation pledges to keep data safe and utilize data destruction procedures that meet the minimum standards and supported by industry best practices. They can wipe any computer hard drives and provide a certificate of data destruction ensuring that your data was destroyed according to all HIPAA and DoD guidelines. They pledge to recycle responsibly and comply with all governmental regulatory requirements for appropriate disposal of non-viable equipment (e-waste) through their R2 or e-Steward certified partners.

All devices shipped through Done with IT are sent directly to a secure, Certified R2 facility. This facility is routinely audited by 3rd party inspectors and meets strict criteria for data destruction to protect your sensitive personal information. All hard drives and/or other storage media will either be wiped and/or physically destroyed.

Learn more about PHLDonateTech by going to phila.gov/phldonatetech and checking out our FAQ about the initiative.

Disclaimer

As part of its PHLDonateTech program, the City of Philadelphia (“City”) and the Philadelphia City Fund (“Fund”) are providing links to several computer recycler and refurbishers listed above (the “Refurbishers”) to recycle and provide computers to families and people in need across Philadelphia. These Refurbishers working with PHLDonateTech are not operated or controlled by the City or the Fund. The City and the Fund are providing this list of Refurbishers for your convenience only. If you use any of the links above, you will leave the Fund’s website and be directed to a website for that particular Refurbisher.

The City and the Fund provide no warranties, promises, and/or representations of any kind, expressed or implied, as to the nature, diligence, or data security practices provided by any of these Refurbishers. It is your responsibility to ensure that any computer donated as part of the PHLDonateTech program is completely wiped of any personal, confidential, or sensitive data before it is donated. The City and the Fund disclaim any and all responsibility for ensuring the protection, security, or safeguarding of any data remaining on computers donated as part of PHLDonateTech. Further, the City and the Fund make no representations or warranties, and provides no advice, about the applicability or eligibility of any potential tax consequences, deductions or credits as a result of your participation in PHLDonateTech.

By clicking on the links above, you acknowledge that in no event shall the City or the Fund be liable to you or to any other person or entity for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential or other damages, costs, or expenses arising out of or in relation to your participation in, or the donations made through PHLDonateTech or use of any of the Refurbisher’s websites.