The fasting growing waste stream globally is e-waste. It includes plastics. Our choice of electronic hardware, software, and services is vital to reduce e-waste.
Non-free / proprietary software:
- Is a major factor in e-waste and pollution through propietary obsolescence.
- Is exclusive, furthering inequality.
- Diminishes diversity.
- Creates imbalances of power which can be used to manipulate.
- Restricts users and developers.
- Threatens security and privacy.
- Is opaque (closed source); full functionality may not be known to users.
Free / libre software is so-named because it pertains to liberty. It consists of 4 essential freedoms which empower users and developers. It reduces e-waste by prolonging the life of devices.
Examples of free / libre software include:
Microsoft WindowsGNU / LinuxMicrosoft OfficeLibre OfficeWindows Media PlayerVLC Media PlayerMicrosoft OutlookThunderbirdGoogle ChromeMozilla FirefoxYouTubePeerTubePhotoshopGIMPFacebookFriendicaTwitter / XMastodonZoomJitsi MeetAndroidLineageOSAlexaHome AssistantDreamweaverGeany
"Introduction to Free Software and the Liberation of Cyberspace"
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In January 2024 Help Me IT was set up to deal with e-waste and provide support for the local community:
- Support for digital inclusion as part of the Get Connected Swindon network, The Digital Poverty Alliance and The National Digital Inclusion Network.
- Support for free / libre software following the Free Software Foundation's Freedom Ladder campaign. We educate on its principles, install it to devices, and provide guidance.
- Receiving and providing donations of computers, mobile phones, and tablets.
- Repair and refurbishment of devices and peripherals.
- Web development.
- Tech support.
- Sharing skills and knowledge.
Help Me IT have sessions at the Swindon Hub on Tuesdays and Thursdays 2-5pm, and Fridays 10am-1pm.
The Get Connected Swindon network have organised a campaign to reduce e-waste by switching from Windows to Linux. Hands on guidance and support are provided along with tea and conversation.
- Say no to e-waste, to mass surveillance, to insecurity, to privacy intrusions, to malware, to monopoly.
- Say yes to empowering, community-driven software which is secure, which respects users and the environment.
This episode of the Birds and Bees radio show covered software's connections to e-waste: the current situation, problems, solutions, and local activities. The guests were:
- Jacob Badcock: Studying e-waste for PhD at UCL.
- Dr Andy Farnell and Helen Plews: Cybersecurity experts from Cybershow UK
- Mark Tidey: Co-ordinator of Get Connected Swindon, part of Swindon Borough Council's Live Well team.
- Terry Johnson: Officer for equality, diversity and inclusion for Voluntary Action Swindon.
For Old Town Festival 2025, Cybershow UK presented "Cybersecurity and Digital Self-Defence" which covered how e-waste (WEEE), environmental and other societal harms are linked to monopoly and BigTech domination. They suggested ways that we can all help counter these harms as part of a civic cybersecurity public programme. Video of the event is available on the Cybershow website (episode 56).
