Converting e-waste into opportunities for Australian students in need

Person, LCD Screen, Electronics, Monitor, Screen, Computer, Pc, Clothing, Laptop
Feb 25 2022

Last week, through our Flight Centre Foundation, we partnered with not-for-profit charity LiteHaus International to donate and repurpose end-of-life technology devices to vulnerable communities across Australia.

We are so proud to help lead the way in managing corporate e-waste, in the form of laptops, tablets and other devices, by transforming them into opportunities to help bridge the digital divide.

Jack Growden, CEO of LiteHaus, said redirecting end-of-life devices away from landfill reduces corporate e-waste and provides learning support to tens of thousands of Australian students in need.

“Roughly 90% of corporate e-waste in Australia ends up in landfill, with more than 1,000 laptops globally thrown away every second. Instead of throwing them away, we need to redirect end-of-life devices away from landfill and into the hands of the tens of thousands of students in need across Australia," says Jack. 

“Flight Centre is leading the way and setting a fantastic example for other corporates by converting e-waste into opportunities through our Full Circle Program.”
Recently appointed Global Sustainability Officer, Michelle Degenhardt, hopes other corporations will follow suit once they see how easy it is to adopt processes to transform e-waste into opportunities.

“Thanks to our collaboration with LiteHaus we are able to address our impact on the environment while also doing our part to bridge the digital divide. There is no cost to corporates who donate anywhere in the chain so it really is a fantastic opportunity to give back and contribute to the important conversation around sustainability,” she said.

This week we have donated 355 laptops, 25 desktops and 10 servers to LiteHaus who will distribute to First Nations and other vulnerable communities across Northern Territory. 
 
This initiative further acknowledges our commitment to reconciliation as we delivered our two-year Reconciliation Action Plan earlier this week. You can view our RAP here.

Pictured: Robert Birnie from LiteHaus with Flight Centre Foundation's Tyler Miscannon.

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