For many companies, the IT department became the unsung hero of the pandemic, playing a pivotal role in the rapid transition towards remote working; during the first Covid wave, organisations spent a massive $15 billion extra per week on technology to rapidly adapt to remote working.
By Carmen Ene, CEO, 3stepIT
While such investment into new computers and devices is key to ensuring workplace productivity, its environmental impact can’t be ignored. And in most organisations, the process of managing the lifecycle of IT is out of date, wasteful and unsustainable. This must be addressed to ensure the rising demand of technology is managed sustainably.
Electronic waste (e-waste) is the world’s fastest growing waste stream. Producing just one computer along with its monitor takes at least 1.5 tons of water, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 530 pounds of fossil fuels. And the mountain of e-waste is growing exponentially, with 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) generated worldwide in 2019. This increased by 9.2 Mt in 5 years and is the equivalent of throwing away 1,000 laptops every second. And we know this is only going to keep increasing exponentially with the figures predicted to reach 74 Mt by 2030.
Read the full article here.
