More than a laptop.
It’s a lifeline.
Digital poverty affects people everywhere — from families in UK cities to aspiring entrepreneurs in rural Africa.
Here’s how your old tech becomes a new opportunity
Across the UK and around the world, millions of people are locked out of education, jobs, and everyday life simply because they can’t access basic technology. The Million People Project was created to change that - one device at a time.
Families
“We queued at the library for 20 minutes of screen time. Now, my kids do their homework at home — and I’ve started a remote admin course.”
UK Mum of 3
Girls in STEM
“We received 15 Ubuntu laptops. The kids now have their own tech club, and we’re seeing future techs emerging already.”
School Leader, Sierra Leone
Students
“I almost had to drop out because I couldn’t attend online classes. Now I’m in my final year, and I’m teaching my brother too.”
College Student, Birmingham
Communities
“Our community centre now has 3 PCs. We help people apply for housing, learn new skills, even teach digital literacy classes.”
Hub Manager, Wiltshire
Jobseekers
“Everything’s online — job applications, benefits, training. With this laptop, I finally feel like I’ve got a chance again.”
Jobseeker, Newcastle
Youth Centres
“Being able to help the kids safely access the internet in a positive, supported way has changed how we run our sessions.”
Youth Centre, London
Why it matters
We all know the drill. The old laptops go in the “just in case” cupboard
This happens in homes AND businesses. - Maybe they still work. Maybe they feel too personal to throw away. Maybe one day you’ll need them again.
But let’s be honest — when was the last time you actually got one back out?
That “just in case” device might be someone else’s only chance.
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A family trying to support three kids through GCSEs and college
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A jobseeker unable to apply for work without internet access
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A youth club running workshops on safe browsing and coding
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A classroom in Sierra Leone where rescued girls are now learning STEM
Meanwhile, the planet pays the price.
Each laptop contains rare earth materials, mined at great environmental and human cost.
By reusing rather than replacing, you’re not just giving someone a tool — you’re giving them time, dignity, and opportunity. And you're keeping e-waste out of landfill.
This is recycling with soul, sustainability that makes a real-world difference.
How could you not want to be part of that?
What goes into making a laptop?
Computers rely on a cocktail of metals and minerals, many of which are classed as rare earth elements (REEs) or other critical raw materials. A typical PC (desktop or laptop) uses dozens of elements from across the periodic table.
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in a PC
Rare earth elements are vital for performance:
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Neodymium (Nd) – in powerful magnets for hard drives, cooling fans, and speakers.
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Praseodymium (Pr) – used in alloys with neodymium for magnets.
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Dysprosium (Dy) – strengthens magnets, helps them resist demagnetisation at high temps.
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Terbium (Tb) – improves magnet performance; also used in green phosphors for displays.
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Europium (Eu) – red phosphors in screens.
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Yttrium (Y) – combined with Eu and Tb for red/green phosphors in displays.
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Lanthanum (La) – in optical glass (camera lenses, sensors).
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Cerium (Ce) – in glass polishing for chip and display manufacture.
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Gadolinium (Gd) – sometimes in memory chip production and phosphors.
Other Critical Metals in a PC
Beyond REEs, many other mined materials are essential:
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Silicon (Si) – microchips, semiconductors (made from quartz sand).
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Gold (Au) – tiny amounts in connectors and contacts due to high conductivity and corrosion resistance.
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Copper (Cu) – wiring, PCBs, heat sinks.
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Aluminium (Al) – casing, heat sinks.
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Tantalum (Ta) – capacitors.
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Tin (Sn) – solder for circuit boards.
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Tungsten (W) – weights in vibration motors, electrodes.
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Cobalt (Co) – lithium-ion batteries in laptops.
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Lithium (Li) – batteries.
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Nickel (Ni) – batteries and alloys.
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Platinum group metals (e.g., Pd, Pt, Rh) – catalytic functions in hard drives and sensors.
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Lead (Pb) – less common now due to RoHS, but still present in some solder/older parts.
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Silver (Ag) – conductive coatings, contacts.
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Zinc (Zn) – galvanisation, solder alloys.
Displays & Peripheral
Even displays have materials that cost the planet:
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Indium (In) – indium tin oxide (ITO) for transparent conductive layers in LCD/LED displays and touchscreens.
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Gallium (Ga) – LEDs, semiconductors.
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Arsenic (As) – gallium arsenide (GaAs) chips in fast circuits and lasers.
In short, all kinds of beautiful spaces are destroyed or affected for us to have the luxury of tech. From deforestation, deep surface trauma and bleaching of corals. The more we reuse tech the less impact it has.
