Zero Tech Waste partners with Back Market on ChromeOS Flex USB campaign to keep laptops out of landfill

Zero Tech Waste, the Reading-based IT recycling and refurbishment company, has partnered with Back Market on the ChromeOS Flex USB campaign, a joint initiative with Google that gives ageing laptops a practical alternative to being scrapped. Zero Tech Waste’s role in the partnership covers the sourcing and preparation of the USB drives that sit at the heart of the campaign.

The campaign offers a straightforward, low-cost solution to laptop obsolescence. Each USB drive comes pre-loaded with ChromeOS Flex, a free operating system from Google that transforms compatible Windows and Intel-based Mac computers into fast, secure, and modern devices, without the need to purchase new hardware. The drives are available through Back Market’s UK site at £3 and can be used on multiple devices.

The partnership comes at a critical moment for laptop longevity. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 in October 2025, leaving hundreds of millions of functional devices at risk of early disposal. Rather than triggering a wave of unnecessary hardware replacement, ChromeOS Flex offers a software-led route to keeping those devices secure and in use.

“We are proud to be part of this campaign as a partner to Back Market. The scale of the laptop obsolescence problem created by the end of Windows 10 support is significant, and this initiative represents exactly the kind of practical, reuse-first thinking we champion at Zero Tech Waste. Scrapping a working laptop should always be the last resort. If our involvement helps keep more devices in use and out of the waste stream, that is a result we are genuinely pleased to be part of.”

Ollie Taylor, co-founder, Zero Tech Waste

Zero Tech Waste operates a reuse-first approach to all IT asset disposal, assessing every device it collects for refurbishment potential before any recycling decision is made. The company holds NCSC-approved data destruction certification and is registered with the Environment Agency. Its involvement in the ChromeOS Flex campaign reflects its broader position as a partner for businesses and organisations seeking responsible, practical alternatives to simply disposing of hardware that still has usable life remaining.

The campaign aligns closely with Zero Tech Waste’s core approach to IT asset disposal, which prioritises reuse and refurbishment over recycling and always treats scrapping as a last resort. The company assesses every device it collects for refurbishment potential before any recycling decision is made, and its partnership with Back Market extends that philosophy to a wider audience of consumers and businesses looking for responsible alternatives to replacing ageing hardware.

Compatible devices include most Windows and Intel-based Mac laptops manufactured from 2010 onwards.

About Zero Tech Waste 

Zero Tech Waste is a pioneering carbon-negative WEEE recycling company that delivers secure, compliant IT asset disposal services to organisations across the public and private sectors. Founded on principles of environmental accountability and data security, the company provides free collection for qualifying IT assets and upholds NCSC approved data destruction standards. Fully accredited by the Environment Agency, Zero Tech Waste helps businesses reduce environmental impact while safeguarding sensitive data. 

For more information, visit www.zerotechwaste.com or call 0800 494 7778.