Background The project seeked, through the development and support of existing reuse, refurbishment and reclamation initiatives, to tackle the environmental problems arising from the disposal of waste IT equipment. The target area for the project would be the central London Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, The City of Westminster and The Corporation of London, covering the major business districts of central London. This project intended to maximise the potential for the refurbishment and repair of waste IT for reuse by collecting the waste IT followed by the reclamation of equipment. Such an approach would move the handling of waste IT and office equipment up the waste hierarchy in accordance with EU guidance on waste management. There were more than 75 000 businesses located within the project area, disposing of an estimated 15 000 items of waste IT and office equipment per annum. Previous experience suggested that as much as 50% could be redistributed with little or no refurbishment, whilst a further 30% could be redistributed following minor repair, or replacement of non-working components. Objectives The objective of the project was to test the effectiveness of creating a supportive infrastructure and related initiatives to help reduce the volume of electronic office equipment entering the waste stream in a large urban area. It would focus on the flow of equipment from central London businesses for reuse by the community sector in neighbouring disadvantaged areas (a target reduction of 58% of this waste stream). Existing activity was uncoordinated, inefficient and did not maximise reuse. The aim was to divert an average of 7 000 items of waste IT and office equipment per annum from landfill or incineration and the subsequent redistribution of these items to the voluntary and community sector. The project would test: The ability of a cross-sectoral partnership body to help facilitate the transfer of such equipment for reuse; The effectiveness of promotional initiatives in stimulating the involvement of potential donors/recipients; The potential to extend the reuse lifetime of donated equipment through the provision of ICT training and technical support to recipient organisations and their users; The potential for community enterprises to undertake such ICT support services in future; and The replicability of such initiatives in other European cities.The partners would support and develop the existing small-scale specialised community providers to improve service provision, through training and through co-ordination to ensure improved operating efficiency, as well as marketing to both donors and recipients. The project would set up short-term support initiatives to improve the transportation and storage of reusable equipment, and investigate the potential for Internet-based waste exchange services to match donors and recipients. Items not suitable for reuse would be dismantled to recycle components through existing infrastructure. By maintaining close links with recipients of donated IT equipment the project also intended to operate a 'take back' scheme. Any residual waste would be dealt with in line with the best practicable environmental option. The project was expected to deliver the following results: 1. A reduced volume of electronic office equipment entering the waste stream. 2. Increased awareness of the opportunities and support mechanisms for the reuse of such equipment. 3. Greater capacity in the community and voluntary sector regarding ICT hardware and skills. 4. Enhanced employment opportunities for people accessing the training element of the project. 5. A model for replication in other EU areas and recommendations for further action. Results The REALISE project achieved most of its technical objectives, although the actual success of the project is difficult to assess. In total, 2 756 referrals were made through the network and 21 943 units of IT diverted from landfill or incineration for reuse or refurbishment. In addition, a REALISE directory containing 1 300 entries was produced and a web referral service established. The project launched Connecting U, an initiative providing free computers, IT training and support services to people with disabilities. Partner organisations also delivered various IT support services. The project does not appear to have achieved the objective of testing replicability in other European cities, although steps were taken to research this, notably the establishment of an international panel of peers.