What happens to your used laptop and phone?

Many organizations don't notice it until they take a critical look: old laptops, smartphones and screens are piling up in offices, warehouses and desk drawers. Not only is this a waste, it's a missed opportunity for businesses as well as the planet.

Precisely in end-of-life IT lies unexpected value. Not only because of its residual value, but especially because of what it says about how we deal with raw materials, carbon emissions and responsibility. Those who respond intelligently to this can make visible sustainability gains and contribute to a circular economy.

In this blog, read how a few practical steps will help you make your IT policies circular and future-proof, without sacrificing performance or reliability.

Corporate waste: value not measured in euros

In Dutch organizations, the amount of downtime of IT equipment is often greater than thought. Not only does this have a financial impact, but also an ecological one. Behind every piece of equipment are raw materials such as copper, silver and gold, often extracted under heavy environmental burdens.

Yet much of this equipment disappears from view. It is forgotten, stored or discarded. Only a small portion is recycled. The rest ends up as waste, even though reuse and circular thinking are essential for sustainable IT management.

Circlewise sees daily how much potential remains in depreciated hardware. With the right refurbishing or remanufacturing approach, devices are returned to top condition. Not as a temporary solution, but as a structural part of a modern IT strategy.

What is the difference between refurbished and remanufactured?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is an important difference. With refurbished hardware, parts are replaced when they no longer function properly, often a battery or screen. The rest of the device remains largely as it was. This is a great solution for those who want to reuse a device quickly and inexpensively.

Remanufacturing goes a big step further. Each appliance is completely taken apart, cleaned, technically checked and rebuilt. Parts are systematically replaced if they show any signs of wear. This is followed by extensive quality control. The result is a product that is technically and visually equivalent to new, but with a much smaller ecological footprint.

This is reflected in the numbers. On average, a remanufactured laptop causes 94 percent less carbon emissions than a new one. Water consumption also drops sharply, by as much as 190,000 liters per device. The financial savings are nice, but for more and more organizations, it's the sustainable impact that counts.

Circular IT: from sustainable idea to workable practice

Circularity has long since ceased to be a niche. More and more organizations are enshrining responsible material choices, carbon reduction and reuse in their procurement and IT policies. But there is often still a gap between ambition and implementation. How do you make it concrete? What is feasible? And how do you prevent sustainability from becoming an extra task instead of a logical step?

Circlewise makes it easier to turn circular ambitions into concrete steps. Start small, look at what you already have, and leverage the value already present in your organization. From initial inventory to full implementation, we guide organizations in an IT strategy that is right. For now and for later.

‍Whatcan you already do today?

What happens to laptops when colleagues leave? Are they stored, passed on or structurally returned in the chain? Instead of putting devices on the shelf for "someday," you can have them professionally ingested, completely erased, technically repaired and redeployed. This creates an IT flow that is circular, secure and manageable.

1.Map your IT cycle
Get an understanding of what happens to equipment that goes out of use. Don't let depreciated devices gather dust; have them certified wiped, remanufactured and redeployed inside or outside your organization.

2. Review your replacement policy
Do devices really need to be replaced every three years? Or can you move to a flexible model where devices go through multiple life cycles without sacrificing performance, support or security?

3. Make circularity part of your strategy
Make sure sustainability is not something for the background, but a starting point for every IT decision. Embed it in procurement, workplace management and lifecycle management.

What does it provide?

‍A lower IT budget is nice. But the real gain is in reliability, accountability and a future-proof story.

Your organization gets a grip on its footprint. You show that technology and sustainability reinforce each other. And you contribute to a system where waste is no longer the norm, but the exception.

‍Circlewise: IT that's right

Circlewise stands for an IT approach that is sustainable, scalable and future-oriented. With high-quality remanufactured hardware, clear CO₂ savings reports and a people-focused approach, IT reconnects with your sustainability goals as well as your day-to-day operations.

Wondering what's possible within your organization?
We'd love to help you organize IT in a more sustainable, smart and future-proof way.
Please contact Arjan van de Oever on 06- 52 043 075 or via arjan@gocirclewise.com.

-> Also read our other blogs on sustainable IT!

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