Importance of Electronic Reuse to Meet ESG Goals

While waste management poses many challenges for the environment, electronics waste (e-waste) is a specific subset that is particularly challenging now and likely for the foreseeable future unless significant changes are made.

Organisations that endeavour to adhere to ESG goals must therefore consider the challenge of e-waste and how it applies to them whilst planning and implementing effective solutions to mitigate e-waste.

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG Goals)

ESG goals have become the major focal point for many organisations in recent years. Although the three core elements (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) are broad and can apply to overarching aspects of business operations, aspects of these elements can be individually applied to address specific issues such as e-waste within an organisation.

Major consultants around the world such as McKinsey have reported that the implementation of ESG goals can lead to numerous benefits for businesses in the UK and worldwide. Investors and important stakeholders within organisations are increasingly looking beyond strictly profit-seeking incentives and more towards KPIs that demonstrate their commitment to ESG goals.

In 2020, a survey revealed that around 58% of investors expressed an interest in ESG goals when investing and a further 19% considered ESG goals when selecting specific investments. Organisations must therefore consider that their strategic decisions can attract investors, so long as the organisation is demonstrating a commitment to ESG goals.

How ITAD and ESG Goals Intersect

IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) involves processes for securely destroying sensitive data held on storage media such as hard drives, but it is also concerned with the secure disposal of the resultant e-waste. Ideally, this should be done in a manner that is compliant with data disposal laws and with as little e-waste going to landfills as possible. ITAD companies such as Wisetek have a Zero Landfill Policy whereby IT assets are either refurbished, remarketed, or recycled with Corporate Computer Recycling processes so as to minimise e-waste altogether.

By working with ITAD providers that perform certified recycling and use environmentally friendly IT Asset Disposal, e-waste is reduced. This can help organisations satisfy the E (environmental) element of their ESG commitment.

What about the S (social) and C (corporate governance), however? In terms of ITAD, improper disposal of devices containing sensitive data can have severe repercussions on both of these elements by means of a data breach. According to Forbes, many Big Tech organisations and other global organisations have listed data governance and cyberattacks as principal concerns.

ITAD can satisfy all three of the ESG elements and therefore meet an organisation’s adherence to ESG goals. Moreover, ITAD services can satisfy the organisation’s CSR strategy, particularly with regard to environmental stewardship. As for corporate governance, ITAD services can improve the organisation’s due diligence and compliance with data protection regulations, thereby keeping their sensitive data (and that of their customers) safe and secure.

Device Reuse & Refurbishment

Recycling redundant IT assets is already a positive step in the right direction towards reducing e-waste, but in many cases, devices can be refurbished and reused which further reduces e-waste by keeping the asset in circulation longer. This delays it from eventually being recycled and helps to contribute to a more circular economy.

ITAD companies such as Wisetek can help organisations achieve CSR and ESG goals with regard to sustainability and e-waste reduction by encouraging device reuse and refurbishment. Whenever feasible, redundant IT assets that can be refurbished provide a means of generating profit, thereby maximising ROI on the asset(s) whilst reducing e-waste.

Wisetek uses a Circular Economy model and adheres to a Zero Landfill Policy, whereby IT assets are processed and all sensitive data is destroyed and those that can be remarketed and refurbished are sold through a global network of resellers. Customers in the UK can purchase these devices as high-quality, sustainable, refurbished products at Wisetek Store.

Is E-Waste Recycling Environmentally Friendly?

All other things held constant, recycling e-waste is generally better for the environment than simply disposing of the e-waste in a landfill. In practice, however, the answer is more nuanced. For many IT assets, the method of Data Destruction and the condition of the asset simply make it impossible to refurbish or remarket the asset. Hard Drive Destruction processes such as Hard Drive Shredding leave the asset as nothing more than coarse chunks or fine dust which can then be sorted and recycled.

According to a report by Allianz, e-waste recycling is quite often not as ‘green’ as one would think. Hundreds of thousands of metric tonnes of e-waste are often sent from Europe to developing countries where it is recycled, often under ethically questionable conditions. For example, the report identified that many recyclers employed labourers who disassembled electronics by hand, without any personal protective equipment and/or with minimal occupational health and safety measures in place. Moreover, many were found to simply burn electronics to reduce them into their constituent components.

For reasons such as this, reusing IT assets (whenever possible) tends to be a more environmentally friendly method of reducing e-waste when compared to recycling.

IT Asset Processing & Reuse

An ITAD company must be able to competently and securely process IT assets whilst disposing of them in the most optimal manner and according to the needs of the client. While many IT assets are processed at the end of their useable lifespan, many are scheduled for disposal in advance of their end-of-life (EoL). These latter devices are often suitable for refurbishment and reuse.

Wisetek specialises in ITAD services that are highly secure and efficient, including the refurbishment of such devices. This may or may not require substituting specific components during the refurbishment process, but ultimately it results in less e-waste, greater ROI on the assets, and happy customers with sustainably purchased ‘as new’ refurbished devices.

Wisetek Store – Refurbished ‘As New’ IT Assets

Organisations in the UK that endeavour to meet ESG goals and to reduce e-waste stand to benefit from the services of a sustainable global leader in ITAD such as Wisetek. Our refurbishment and remarketing enable organisations to improve their ESG ratings by reducing e-waste in a quantifiable manner.

IT assets that can be refurbished are resold through Wisetek Store, a platform for private end-user customers looking for sustainable, ‘as new’ refurbished laptops, desktop PCs, tablets, mobile phones, accessories, and more.

Choose Wisetek for ITAD Services that Meet Your ESG Commitment

Wisetek is a global leader in ITAD and a leading data erasure company in the UK, providing superb value to clients through services such as hard drive destruction, our IT solutions, and data centre services such as Data Centre Decommissioning.

We provide on-site data destruction at business parks in Greater London, Birmingham, Cardiff, and elsewhere in the UK. Choose Wisetek for compliant, secure data destruction in the UK.

For more information, please contact enquiries@wisetek.net or visit our website.

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