Tucked away among light industrial workshops and student housing in Dunedin North is an extraordinary facility where e-waste sustainability meets community.

Com2Tech — the Community Communications Technology Trust — repairs, repurposes and recycles unwanted digital devices, while helping people and communities access technology sustainably.

And there is a lot of work to do — since April 2024, Com2Tech has repurposed and recycled 32 tonnes of e-waste from Dunedin households, businesses and community organisations.

Founded in 2018 by the Gosling family, the trust grew from a shared passion for technology, community support and sustainability.

 Com2Tech is governed by a volunteer board with an IT focus, led by siblings Tim Gosling, trust board chair, and Amy Souquet, general manager. 

The group initially offered drop-in service support in North East Valley, then expanded to host youth computer clubs, hardware workshops and community sessions.

"It turns out that a lot of people in Dunedin need digital support and a chance to learn more about their devices and computers, and also need a place to bring their e-waste,” Mrs Souquet said.

"Sometimes a device just needs to be repaired, or maybe a new operating system, which is something we can help with.

"People are very grateful for our support sessions, and also for the chance to access low-cost refurbished devices and computers.”

Now with their e-waste and hardware services based in a workshop at 105 Harrow St, the non-profit organisation’s largely neurodiverse staff and volunteers refurbish donated equipment.

Devices are supplied free to community groups, schools and some individuals, while selected refurbished devices are sold to the public to contribute to operating costs.

Mr Gosling said Com2Tech accepted a broad range of e-waste, including phones laptops, Chromebooks, desktop and workstation computers, monitors, keyboards, mice and cables.

Items are weighed on arrival and assessed for secure data erasure, repair and reuse.

Devices that are too damaged or outdated to refurbish are recycled, at Com2Tech’s cost, to keep hazardous electronic waste out of landfill.

“We have a huge amount of e-waste here in Dunedin, so it’s great to be able to find a new home for it when we can,” he said.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) donated laptops to Com2Tech.

So far, Mrs Souquet has distributed 170 devices free of charge to rural and high schools across the southern region, supporting rural digital inclusion.

The remaining laptops will be allocated to organisations serving minority communities in Dunedin, particularly those helping people develop digital skills.

Alongside its e-waste work, Com2Tech runs free community digital drop-in sessions with partner organisations across the city, including libraries and community networks.

It also hosts sustainability workshops using e-waste, YouthTech Minecraft and coding clubs, and game-development studios. Supported by Te Hou Ora Whānau Services, these programmes aim to build social connection, practical digital skills and pathways into local technology careers.

"This is a very important part of what we do — empowering young people, many of whom are neurodivergent, to have digital skills on devices other than their phones is really necessary,” Mrs Souquet said.

Com2Tech also partners with Fern Collective Ltd, which provides support for neurodiverse and chronically ill people.

Fern Collective youth worker Nathan Rotch regularly brings groups of neurodiverse rangatahi to the Com2Tech workshop to test and help with repurposing devices.

IT students from the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic also take part in Com2Tech activities and support sessions, gaining valuable practical experience.

Mrs Souquet said the organisation urgently needs a larger, dedicated space to expand its community-support, youth-education and work skills programmes working with sustainable e-waste.

"If anyone out there is able to help with that, we would love to hear from them,” she said.

For more information, contact Amy Souquet on 027 256 9182, email office@com2tech, or visit the website www.com2.tech