Close the gap & Worldloop

ICT to the South, e-waste to the North

Close the Gap is a non-profit organisation that aims to close the digital gap by making high-quality second-hand ICT devices available to projects in developing countries. The devices are donated by companies or governments in the North and delivered to selected non-profit initiatives in the South via local service partners.

Thanks to the support of both donors and partners, Close the Gap can also offer specific software, hardware, financing and expertise tailored to the projects.

Close the Gap is committed to avoiding glorified e-waste dumping. In the South, there is often a lack of capacity to process discarded ICT material in a responsible manner. Consequently, many of the donated devices would end up landfilled. With this in mind, Close the Gap set up another organisation called Worldloop, which aims to undo the negative environmental impact of ICT though responsible and self-sustaining reuse and recycling of e-waste on site. Worldloop sets the bar high: materials that require specialised processing are shipped to the best recycling plants in Europe.

As a result, these two organisations close the circle: second-hand materials are donated to the South, where they are put to good use, and the recycling or fixing of those materials generates local jobs and raw materials. Hazardous substances are reshipped to Europe for specialised processing.