Lost property becomes digital lifeline for Plymouth residents

Unclaimed mobile phones left on Plymouth’s buses have been given a new lease of life thanks to a local repair and recycling scheme.

Borrow Don’t Buy is Plymouth’s Library of Things, where you can borrow things like DIY equipment, camping kit or party paraphernalia for a small fee, rather than paying for brand new items that you’ll only use once or twice.

During Covid, Borrow Don’t Buy turned their skills to refurbishing and recycling digital equipment to get tech to the people who needed it most. Although there aren’t the same restrictions as previously, more people are now finding they need internet access when they didn’t before for things like making GP appointments.

Every year, Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus is left with thousands of items of lost property, including many mobile phones. While most of these get back to their owners, there are some that are never claimed. After a few months in the Lost Property cupboard, the devices are now going to Borrow Don’t Buy, where they can be inspected, cleaned, upgraded and redistributed by the Borrow Don’t Buy ‘elves’.

Elf Esther Scali said: “We have a very secure data-wiping procedure which removes all personal data – it’s more thorough than a data reset – and we use this before the phones go anywhere else. They’re nicely packaged and come with their own instructions, so whoever gets it has all the excitement of opening up a new box.”

Elf Mia Ward-Edwards said: “People are referred to us from across Plymouth through different organisations. We keep a database of which devices we’ve given out and where in the city they go, so we can see if there are any areas that might need more support.”

As well as mobile phones, Borrow Don’t Buy refurbish and redistribute tablets and laptops too, helping more people get online in conjunction with the Plymouth Digital Inclusion Network.

Plymouth Citybus Customer Experience Manager Jason Beverly said: “We always do our best to reunite people with belongings they leave on the bus, but on the occasions we can’t, it’s great to be in touch with organisations like Borrow Don’t Buy who, as well as stopping items going to landfill, can use them to help others.”

Individuals and organisations with unused devices can contact Borrow Don’t Buy on [email protected] to see if they can be refurbished and redistributed.