One of my favorite groups in today’s broadband ecosystem are the folks who refurbish used computers, laptops, and cellphones so that they can be reused again. The folks who do this fill an important and needed niche in the industry. Refurbishers come in many flavors. There are both large and small non-profits that do this work. Commercial firms who do this range from neighborhood computer shops that refurbish a few devices as a sideline to larger companies that refurbish large volumes of devices.

Refurbishers don’t all have the same business model. Some non-profits do this to donate devices to those who need them. Others sell used devices for low prices. Some only fix devices, while others offer a range of services. One of my local favorites is Through the Trees, a non-profit that not only offers affordable devices for those who need them but also operates a help desk and training programs to help people learn how to best use the devices.

Refurbishers play some important roles. Getting free or reduced-cost computers into the hands of those who need them is a hugely important goal. It’s easy for people to recognize that not having a device to use the Internet is a huge barrier for folks who can’t afford to buy a computer or tablet. I know one refurbisher who first got started by providing computers to kids in homeless families.

I could write many pages on how getting a computer can change a family’s life. Getting a device means getting access to all of the online things most of us take for granted. Numerous studies have shown that students with a computer in the house gain far more digital skills than those who only use computers at school. A computer in the home can mean online banking, telemedicine, schooling and training, and taking part in the everyday digital world that most of us take for granted and don’t even notice.

Refurbishers also help the environment. I’ve seen estimates that the world generates over 60 million metric tons of total electronic waste each year. It’s estimated that we throw away over 40 million computers every year, most of which eventually end up in a landfill. Only 15% to 20% of e-waste is recycled to some degree, and what we discard ends up putting heavy metals and toxic waste like lead, mercury, and cadmium into our landfills.

Refurbishing only a small percentage of devices would make a big difference by reducing waste and by helping those who need a device. I saw an estimate that 88% of homes do nothing with used devices, and they pile up in some corner of their home.

When I’ve suggested to people that they give their computer to a refurbisher, their number one fear is that somebody will access the data they have on the computer. I would hope over time that fear lessens as we keep more and more of our data in the cloud. But there is no reason to worry about your data if you use a reputable refurbisher.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created a standard guideline that defines how to scrub or sanitize hard drives before safe reuse. The NIST SP 800-88 (Guidelines for Media Sanitization) defines three key steps for proper media sanitization. Refurbishers take these standards seriously since they would otherwise face financial risks and wouldn’t be able to be insured.

• First is destruction. NIST defines three methods of cleaning data from a device based on the data’s sensitivity and the potential risk of recovery. “Clear” means overwriting or erasing data using approved software. “Purge” means using a magnetic device or cryptographic erasure to remove data. “Destroy” means physically damaging a device through shredding, crushing, or melting so that data recovery is impossible.
• Next is verification. This means testing the cleaned device to make sure that data is no longer accessible.
• Finally is certification, meaning a refurbisher must provide a certificate of destruction that details the sanitization process and the details of who and how the data was scrubbed.

If you aren’t giving your old computers today to a refurbisher, you need to give this some thought. There is somebody living near you who could get some life-changing good out of your old machine.