Equivalent to flying around the world 11 times
3stepIT has launched a new tool to help businesses tackle the hidden carbon emissions and electronic waste (e-waste) behind their IT purchasing habits.
The new Sustainable IT Calculator demonstrates the positive environmental impact businesses can achieve by ensuring IT devices are securely refurbished and reused at the end of their first lifecycle.
The tool calculates the kilograms of carbon and e-waste that businesses can avoid by adopting the principles of the circular economy, and by switching to a Technology Lifecycle Management (TLM) solution, a model that ensures the reuse of their redundant IT.
Every time a device is given a second life, it displaces the manufacture of a new one, saving valuable resources and spreading the carbon impact across multiple users.
The new data reveals businesses of all sizes can make a positive environmental impact:
100 employee business
- CO2 emissions avoided: Equivalent to flying from the North to South Pole 15 times.
- E-waste avoided: 756kg, equivalent to throwing away 130,344 plastic pens.
250 employee business
- CO2 emissions avoided: Equivalent to flying around the world 11 times.
- E-waste avoided: 1,028kg, equivalent to throwing away 57,111 coffee cups.
800 employee business
- CO2 emissions avoided: Equivalent to flying to the moon and back, twice.
- E-waste avoided: 3,774kg, equivalent to throwing away 419 office chairs.
The calculator's launch comes as global e-waste reaches record highs, and follows the unveiling of a landmark piece of research from 3stepIT, which revealed IT teams are struggling to make the case for sustainable change.
The research found that while the majority (77%) of European businesses are concerned about the e-waste they produce, nearly all (82%) of IT departments still find it hard to make the case for sustainability programmes.
Only a third (37%) of businesses currently have a defined action plan to deal with e-waste, and only a quarter (28%) put responsible recycling as their main priority when disposing of old tech.
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance teams are also struggling to have their voices heard. 58% say they feel IT sustainability outcomes are often deprioritised to costs and other criteria, while 42% report they are not consulted in procurement decisions ‘most of the time’.
It is hoped that armed with data from the Sustainable IT Calculator, IT teams will be able to drive positive change and reduce both the financial and environmental burden of managing enterprise IT.
Tapio Ranta, Head of Product Management 3stepIT said: “There is an increasing pressure on businesses to minimise their environmental impact. But sometimes creating change inside an organisation is hard, even if the shift is better for business and better for the planet.
“With this new tool, we want to support IT managers, who we know are sustainably minded, to make the case for a more sustainable approach to IT. With this evidence at their fingertips, hopefully we can see more organisations make a greater impact in the fight against climate change.”
3stepIT has also launched a new campaign calling on businesses IT leaders to make a pledge to Stop Buying IT. The campaign aims to mobilise organisations to think more sustainably, and educate them on technology lifecycle management solutions, a practice that enables them to procure and manage business tech without the need to purchase and own devices outright.
Discover how you can make a positive difference with sustainable Technology Lifecycle Management.
Calculate your CO2e and e-waste avoidance by entering your IT assets in the Sustainable Lifecycle calculator.
Methodology
The source data for these calculations comes from 3stepIT’s refurbishing centres, where the organisation processed over 530,000 devices in 2020. 3stepIT calculates CO2 avoidance by measuring the median CO2 emissions per product group.
This is based on manufacturer data for the most popular devices 3stepIT processes within each product group. The e-waste avoidance calculation is based on the weight of each product group. 3stepIT uses the median weight of the most popular models it processes in each group.
