Instead of leaving your old smartphone in a drawer, donate it to a trusted nonprofit that refurbishes devices for students and schools.
This action directly supports SDG 4: Quality Education by bridging the digital divide and enabling access to online learning tools.
Why It Matters
- Worldwide, 244 million children and youth are still out of school. (Source: UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2023)
- Nearly 2.6 billion people remain offline, most of them in developing regions where smartphones or tablets could provide critical access to lessons and educational resources. (Source: International Telecommunication Union – Facts & Figures 2023)
- A study has estimated that as many as 40 million unused gadgets are languishing in UK homes.” (Source: Millions of old gadgets ‘stockpiled in drawers’, BBC)
- Globally, an estimated 5.3 billion mobile phones were expected to be discarded or left unused in 2022 alone.” (Source: The Global Impact of Refurbished Phones on E-Waste Reduction, Unsustainable Magazine)
The Impact
If 10 million people worldwide donate a working smartphone, that’s 10 million more students with access to digital textbooks, language apps, or remote classes — while preventing millions of kilograms of e-waste.
How to Start (Today)
Check if you have an unused smartphone stored at home.
Wipe your personal data (factory-reset and remove SIM/SD cards).
Choose a nonprofit that refurbishes and distributes devices specifically to students or schools:
- Labdoo – A global volunteer network that collects and refurbishes laptops, tablets, and smartphones loaded with educational software, then delivers them to schools and orphanages in need.
- Compudopt – Accepts devices, refurbishes them, and provides them to students and families to close the digital divide.
- KindWorks – Digital Empowerment – Collects, refurbishes, and donates devices to students and low-income families for education.
- Close the Gap – Focuses on refurbishing devices donated by individuals and companies and redistributing them to schools and educational programs in developing countries.
Drop your device off at one of these organizations or use their mail-in programs.
Caution
Before donating, remove all personal data by performing a factory reset and deleting accounts such as Google or iCloud. (Source: FTC – Disposing of Old Devices)
Ensure the organization you donate to is reputable and certified for data security and responsible recycling.
Do not donate devices with damaged batteries that could pose a fire hazard — have them safely recycled instead.
Bottom Line
Give your idle phone a second life.
By donating it to a student through a trusted nonprofit, you open doors to education, reduce e-waste, and help advance SDG 4: Quality Education — all with one simple act.
