John Loader's letter raises a crucial issue in pointing to the need for recycling facilities for electrical and electronic equipment in the developing world (Recycle paradox of charity IT, Letters blog, letters.computing.co.uk).

I am sure he would agree that the principle of producer responsibility for funding end-of-life recycling is just as valid in the emerging markets in Africa as here in the European Union.

This is why Computer Aid welcomes the recent announcement by HP that it will contribute hundreds of thousand of dollars to a new project to improve PC reuse and recycling in Africa.

Hundreds of thousands of new printers and computers produced by the major global brands are consumed in urban centres across Africa every year. All electronic and electrical equipment must be recycled responsibly at the end of its productive life - in whichever country.

Within Europe, producers who manufacture and profit from the sale of this equipment are legally responsible for the cost of end-of-life recycling. This responsibility surely extends to their African markets?

Computer Aid is a charitable organisation that assists developing countries to apply IT to poverty reduction and job creation. Our activities do not create any new PCs but they do deliver environmental benefits by extending productive life and social benefits through reuse in schools, universities and healthcare.

UK businesses donate their older PCs to us in the knowledge that a professionally refurbished PC will provide an additional three or four years' second-user life in organisations that could not otherwise afford to use PCs.

The grinding cycle of poverty and disadvantage cannot be broken unless poor countries have the technical means and skills base to develop their economies. In an increasingly global economy it is absolutely essential that graduates of African business schools, teacher training colleges and universities are IT-literate.

Computer Aid can provide many examples of the dramatic contribution PCs are making to help end the cycle of poverty in Africa. And when those PCs come to the end of their productive working life, Computer Aid is working with partners on recycling. In 2008 we hope to organise the recycling of as many as 10,000 PCs used by our African partners.

With support from producers we could go much further. We hope that increasing numbers of companies will follow the lead of HP and embrace the logic of supporting reuse and recycling in their emerging markets to create a fairer world.

Please donate your old PCs to Computer Aid and help us to make IT happen in Africa.

Tony Roberts
Computer Aid International