Virgin Media O2 has awarded £1 million to electrical-waste reduction programmes across the UK.
The telecommunications giant revealed that its Time After Time fund, run in partnership with environmental charity Hubbub, has supported 18 projects in three years.
These schemes have in turn reached 268,000 people, according to a report published this month.
Charities, community groups and public sector organisations have used the funding to deliver events, training and policy recommendations to slash electronic waste and champion reuse, repair or recycling of devices.
Donated and repaired technology has been reused to help digitally excluded people get online, while marginalised groups have built repair skills to help them gain employment, the report said.
Virgin Media O2 chief sustainability officer Dana Haidan said: “We’re proud of the scale and impact of Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s Time After Time fund, and of the hard-working organisations that have delivered these innovative, community-led projects across the UK.
“Whether it’s creating conversations and positive action on tackling e-waste, changing people’s perceptions of reusing, repairing or recycling tech, donating smartphones and tablets to help those who are digitally excluded get online, or delivering device repair skills to help people find jobs, the Time After Time fund has changed people’s lives, enriched communities and helped protect the planet.”
Hubbub director Gavin Ellis added: “It’s fantastic to see the combined impact of the Time After Time fund changing real lives across the country.”
