OurCycle L.A.

Under the leadership of Council President Wesson, the City of Los Angeles created OurCycle L.A., a digital inclusion program designed to take advantage of the thousands of salvage computers from the City. The program refurbishes city-owned computers and distributes them to low-income individuals citywide. Qualified participants are required to attend a digital literacy training program. The program maximizes the use of existing computers, provides job training and employment for individuals with high barriers to employment, minimizes the city’s electronic waste footprint, and helps bridge the digital divide.

Since its inception, OurCycle LA has recycled over 5,000 systems, refurbished over 3,000 PCs, connected approximately 2,000 low income families to the Internet, and trained over 1,000 families in digital literacy. The program is a public-private partnership between the city, non-profit organizations and social enterprises. Human-I-T, a local non-profit organization, refurbishes the city’s surplus computers promoting reuse and creating opportunities for program recipients. Other partners include the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, the city’s Information Technology Agency, Department of General Services, and Bureau of Sanitation.