Donating or selling old business computers: the rules and the risks

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the IT Equipment Disposal team

Short answer: UK organisations can donate or sell old computers to staff, charities or schools, but only after every drive has been securely erased and verified, with a record of each device. Equipment should be checked for electrical safety, devices released from management systems, and software licences checked, since some do not transfer. Keep the erasure reports and a record of who received each device.

Why reuse is worth doing

Most of the environmental impact of a laptop or desktop comes from making it, not using it. Keeping a working device in use for a few more years is usually far better than recycling it for materials, and it is the option the waste hierarchy expects you to consider first. Donated laptops can make a real difference to schools, charities and digitally excluded households.

The risk is that reuse is also how data leaks happen. A laptop given to a member of staff, sold on an auction site or handed to a charity with an old drive still in it is exactly the scenario UK GDPR is designed to prevent.

Data comes first

Deleting user profiles, reinstalling Windows or doing a quick factory reset is not enough evidence on its own. Before any device leaves your control for reuse, its storage should be erased with certified software or secure sanitise commands, verified, and recorded against the device serial number. Drives that fail should be removed and shredded, and the device can be passed on without a drive or with a new one fitted.

Erase every storage device, including second drives and SSDs
Keep the per-device erasure report
Release devices from management systems and activation locks
Remove asset tags or labels that identify your organisation or its systems
Record who received each device and when

Options for passing equipment on

Route	Things to check
Selling through an IT disposal provider	Value is set by the trade market, and data destruction and paperwork are handled for you
Selling or giving to staff	Treat as a benefit where relevant and check with your accountant, and erase devices first
Donating to a charity or school	Ask what they can use, and agree in writing who is responsible for faults and disposal later
Device donation schemes	Many local and national schemes accept wiped laptops and phones for digital inclusion
Returning to the leasing company	Follow the lease terms on condition and data wiping

Electrical safety

Second-hand electrical equipment supplied in the course of a business should be safe. In practice, organisations passing on equipment commonly have it visually inspected and PAT tested, check chargers and power leads for damage, and do not pass on devices with swollen or damaged batteries. A swollen laptop battery is a fire risk and the device should go for recycling instead.

Software and licences

Software licensing is easy to overlook. Windows licences that came pre-installed with a device are generally tied to that device, but volume licences used by many organisations are not, so a reinstalled or reimaged machine may not be properly licensed. Business application licences, such as Microsoft 365 or design software, belong to your organisation and should be removed from the device and reassigned or cancelled.

Refurbishers often reinstall operating systems under their own licensing arrangements, which is one reason donating through an established refurbishment route can be simpler than handing devices out directly.

Also cancel or transfer any warranty, support contract or device insurance tied to your organisation, and make sure the recipient knows the device no longer has your support behind it. Clear expectations at the point of handover avoid awkward calls months later when a donated laptop stops working.

What equipment is worth passing on

Not every old computer is a useful donation. Charities and schools generally want devices that can run a current, supported operating system and do everyday tasks without frustration. Very old desktops, laptops with failing batteries and devices that can no longer receive security updates can become a burden for the recipient, who then has to dispose of them.

Device	Usually worth reusing
Laptops up to about five to six years old with SSDs	Yes, especially business models
Desktops capable of running a supported operating system	Often, with a monitor, keyboard and mouse
Flat screen monitors in good condition	Often
Phones and tablets still receiving security updates	Yes
Devices that no longer get security updates	Rarely, recycle instead
CRT monitors, damaged screens and swollen batteries	No, recycle

Ask the recipient what they actually need before offering a mixed load. Matched sets, such as laptops with chargers, are far more useful than a pile of mixed parts.

If equipment is too old to be useful, recycling it properly is the responsible choice, even if donating feels better.

Keep a record

Whichever route you choose, keep an asset list showing each device, its serial number, its erasure report and who received it. If a question comes up later from an auditor, the ICO or the recipient, that record is what shows you handled the data properly and passed the equipment on responsibly.