NOTE: Green PC recipients
Only individuals and families that are holders of
current Health Care Cards, or are able to verify
their low income status in some other way, and
registered not-for-profit community
organisations are able to access Green PC
computers.
Green PCs are NOT available to the open market.
Most Green PC computers are sold at significantly discounted prices to individuals
and community organisations.
The computers are not free because what is being provided is a completely rebuilt and refurbished computer with up-to-date software added. The computers also come with a warranty and back-up service. This ensures that computers will work at the demanding standards required by users. To date, Green PC has experienced a return rate of only 2%. Demand for Green PC computers currently outstrips supply.
Infoxchange Australia has developed a Digital Divide Strategy aimed at addressing the growing inequality of access to the new information technologies among low-income and disadvantaged groups. Consistent with this they were successful in obtaining short-term funding from the Victorian Governments Community Jobs Program to establish a social enterprise called the GreenPC.
Green Peripherals and Components, otherwise known as GreenPC, has now developed as a successful social enterprise initiative of Infoxchange Australia that operates to service low income people on a national basis. GreenPC now operates out of two centres located in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Green PC's are recycled personal computers that are refurbished and repackaged into usable Internet ready computers and then made available to low-income communities, individuals and community organisations.
The objectives of Green PC are to upgrade and Internet-enable outdated computers. A large number of computers have already been donated to Infoxchange Australia for this purpose. Once they have been refurbished, these computers are made available for distribution.
Convoy For Kids Inc (in Victoria) are hoping that if you have computers available, you may like to donate to this initiative and help reduce technology waste plus give an opportunity to someone on a low income.
