A laptop isn’t a banana. But still — your laptop has a backstory. And it’s not always a cheerful one. Behind that shiny screen lies a hard reality of long working hours, low wages, and dangerous conditions in factories halfway across the world.

But that story doesn’t have to end there.

The City of Ghent chose to push back. It joined Electronics Watch, not just another label but a solid international organisation that supports public buyers — like cities and universities — in their search for fair electronics. No hollow promises, but real action — with trade unions, with workers, and with pressure on producers.

In Ghent, it’s District09 — the city’s tech wizards — who bring this vision to life. And they do it with style:

• Devices are chosen based on quality and repairability.
• Five years of use is the minimum. After that, they get a second — or even third — life.
• After the warranty, broken devices are repaired in-house or stripped for spare parts (think digital organ donation).
• Smartphones? Fairphones or refurbished iPhones, for those who want to join the movement.
• And discarded laptops? They spark new beginnings in the classrooms of Ghent’s public schools.

Real monitoring. Not just a factory tour.

Electronics Watch doesn’t stop at peeking behind factory doors. They use worker-driven monitoring: local unions and NGOs — people who actually know the workers — report what’s wrong and what needs to change. And it works. No tick-box inspections, but genuine engagement from the ground up.

Because here’s the deal: whoever buys ICT has influence. And when public buyers like Ghent join forces, that influence starts to matter.

From cable to classroom

Ghent tackles the whole chain. From purchase to usage to recycling. It may not sound glamorous, but when you think about how much tech gets tossed every year… you realise: something is shifting.

A laptop with a longer life. A worker with more rights. A city stepping up.

These small, deliberate choices prove that fair trade isn’t just something for your morning coffee — it belongs on your desk, too.